


This Love Might Kill Me! or: How I Fell For A Stupid Vampire Hunter

by Mitsuboshi



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/F, Romantic Comedy, SIF Normal Girls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-04-19 03:45:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4731668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mitsuboshi/pseuds/Mitsuboshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Humans have always been a mystery to Maki Nishikino, a vampire among other supernatural creatures in hiding. So when she meets Nico Yazawa, an ordinary high school girl, she must ask herself: Is she falling in love? Or does she just desire Nico’s blood? Not only must she confront these conflicting feelings, but it turns out Nico is a vampire hunter?!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Hesitantly Maki opened her curtain, a bit fearful a sliver of sunlight would creep into the confines of her dark room. She backed herself against the wall as she parted the curtains ever so slightly. When the pale moonlight hit the hardwood floors, she breathed a sigh of relief.

The night had finally took over.

Now that she found herself safe, the red headed girl flicked on the light switch and illuminated her bedroom. Contrary to what some old-fashioned thinkers might believe, she didn't inhabit some dank, archaic crypt. Her room was of high class, complete with lavish furnishings that would make any normal girl jealous. The colors were surprisingly bright, in contrast to the rather... grim occupation she was born into.

Maki walked to her decorative wardrobe to search for something to wear. She quizzically debated over wearing something a little fancy, or just casual and ordinary. Not that she had an event to attend, but still, she couldn't be sloppy either. After a couple minutes of staring at her clothes, Maki opted for a long black skirt and a strawberry colored cardigan worn over a simple white blouse. Pretty modest, she thought. Although, she wished she had the ability to look at herself properly in a mirror. This was one of the downsides of being a vampire.

Yes, a vampire. The fabled creatures of the night who suck the blood of unfortunate human victims. Most of the world believed them to be products of fiction, but a small percentage knew the true nature of their existence. They were but one of many supernatural creatures that lived hidden among the unassuming mortals, in a world far more complex and bizarre than anything a normal human being could face. If they stepped into that horrific world, even the mere knowledge of its existence would drive them mad.

Of course, it didn't happen often, but when it did, it usually ended in two ways: a complex, but friendly relationship, or a gruesome bloodbath that made the human an unfortunate victim. This rang true especially for vampires. Luckily, in the past 150 years of her long life, Maki never had found herself in such a trifling situation with a human.

Finished dressing up, Maki went out of her room and walked slowly through the halls of the Nishikino mansion. After descending the stairs, Maki went straight into the kitchen, flicking the lights on to find it empty as always. Her parents were away at the hospital again, their usual front for their vampiric activities. As society has become more connected and equally cautious, gathering the sustenance of a vampire - human blood - required more... creative methods. Her parents absence was not uncommon, and their work certainly helped the family and other vampires thrive in secrecy without resorting to wholesome slaughter.

Maki looked at the fridge, grabbing a little note stuck on the door. It read:

 

_Won't be home until tomorrow night. Please take care of yourself!_

_-Mom_

 

Maki put the note back on the fridge; of course they would be.

She opened up the fridge door - about six containers of crimson liquid were all that was left. They were running a bit low, but she wasn't worried. The fridge was always restocked on a frequent basis by their servant, and she didn't need to feed for more than a couple days a week. The vampire girl took a container and slipped it into her purse, planning on drinking it when she was with her friends. Surely this would suffice for the night.

Maki slipped on her shoes and quickly but efficiently checked herself to ensure everything was in order. With a nod of self-confirmation, she opened the door. She was greeted by a cool evening that blew through her red hair. After locking the door behind her, she made her way from the tall mansion to her destination: the nearby park to meet her friends.

Well, "nearby" wasn't exactly the correct term used to describe the distance, unfortunately. By foot, it took about 15-20 minutes just to get there. The distance itself possessed no problem for the youthful looking creature of the night. If she wanted to, she possessed the ability to alter her form into a bat and get there faster than her feet could carry her. But transforming carelessly began causing new problems lately as the threat against their people began to increase over the years. Attracting attention from humans was the last thing she needed.

Still, walking along the sleepy neighborhood at night was quite the scenic experience. She looked past the windows of houses along the street, seeing families and couples having dinner before they retire to bed, completely unaware that a whole other world was in front of them. Maki couldn't help but wonder what the life of human was like, how restricted, yet free their lives were. Not that she felt particularly envious of it, but throughout the years she couldn't suppress her curiosity.

Further along into her walk, she remembered her friends might want a snack. Somehow, they were always hungry no matter what. With that in mind, she decided to stop by the nearby convenience store to get them something. Maki winced when she entered, the bright florescent light flooding her eyes while her ears were met with the faint sound of music. It sounded like Chopin's _Fantaisie Impromptu_ , an odd choice to play in a convenience store, but a lovely one none the less. Maki couldn't blame them for playing it. Chopin was a master at what he did, and a good man to boot. Her parents could attest to that. A shame he turned down their offer at immortal life.

She quickly glanced at the refrigerated food, then grabbed a rice ball off the shelf. She then proceeded to pick up a can of tuna near the front. _This should do nicely_ , Maki thought. The redhead quickly brought her items to the front and presented her money to the cashier, a cheerful looking girl with mahogany colored hair styled in two long pigtail.

The exchange was a bit odd: the girl moved in a rigid manner and her complexion looked a bit sickly, yet she had a bright smile on her face. "Have a good night!" The girl called out with a stiff wave when she had given Maki her change.

Maki nodded curtly, then walked out the door. Pausing for a moment, she looked down to her purse to put her change away, the coins jangling as they hit the bottom of the bag. But as Maki looked up, a strange figure was caught in the corner of her eye.

With her enhanced vision, she could see someone moving about behind the bushes. Curiously she walked toward the corner where the figure was hiding, when suddenly the said figure shot up from behind the bush and spat:

"What? What are you looking at?"

Maki was taken aback by the violent reaction. Upon a closer look, the person wore a thick beige raincoat, even if there had been no rain in sight. A bowler's hat of the same color sat atop her long dark hair, which was tied in short twin tails held in place by red ribbons. Her hair was messy -- various branches and leaves clung to them in a state of disorder. The big black shades she wore were complete with a big plastic nose and handlebar mustache, and despite concealing most of her face, Maki could sense the irritation emanating from the petite body.

"Aren't I supposed to be asking that?" Maki retorted. "Especially with that get up?"

"That's none of your concern!" The odd girl hissed as she cleared the debris from her hair. "I'm doing something very important, you know."

Maki raised her brow in disbelief. "Such as?"

"It's a secret!" She pouted before turning her head away. "You won't understand."

"Whatever," Maki said as she walked away. Clearly there was no use in staying around this weirdo, and she didn't want to keep her friends waiting. However, a few steps later, the girl abruptly called out to her.

"Hey!"

Maki turned around to see her waving from the bush. "You... Haven't seen anything strange going on in there, have you?" Her tone shifted from anger to something more serious, contrasting the ridiculous outfit she wore.

She thought about it for a second, but Maki shook her head. "No, why?"

"Really? Nothing at all? Ominous moans, weird stains on the walls, strange smells... Likerottingflesh."

Maki almost had trouble picking up the last few words, as they came out in a hushed and hurried manner. "What? Excuse me?"

"Ah, just forget it," the girl said, taking off her ridiculous shades in frustration. She threw them to the ground which caused the nose to break off. "Ugh stupid glasses. I can't even see with them on."

"Maybe it's because it's dark," Maki added.

"Don't you think I know that!"

Maki watched as the girl grumbled to herself, then realized that she was conversing with a crackpot in the middle of the night. _Why am I taking this seriously?_ "I'll be going now," she said. She began to walk away but turned to say one last thing. "By the way, you missed a spot. There's still a branch in your hair."

The girl twitched and scrambled to find it as Maki finally left her behind. The vampire sighed to herself after that bizarre ordeal. Clearly she had wasted enough time as it was, and no doubt her friends were waiting for her.

 

* * *

 

With a quickened pace, her arrival at the park didn't take too long. She sat at one of the benches, looking around for her friends, but they were nowhere in sight. Maki grumbled to herself, ready to call out to them, but the sound of something falling from a tree behind her startled her, and she swiftly turned around to see what it could be. If need be, she was more than capable of defending herself. However, instead of the form of an attacker, a much smaller presence greeted her. An orange-furred cat sat on hind-legs, its long tail waving briskly as it stared at Maki with curious golden eyes. Speaking of its tail, a peculiar thing to note was that its white tip split down the middle in two. That itself undoubtedly served as a big hint to who this unnatural cat really was.

Maki released a sigh of relief. “Hey, Rin, don’t scare me like that.”

What occurred next was too quick for human eyes. In a seamless motion, the cat bolted from the ground, its form shifting into that of a fully clothed teenage girl with short hair the same color as her fur. The only hint of its previous form was the triangular pair of furry ears, and the weird split tail emerging above her bottom. Before Maki could react, the cat-turned-girl quickly held her in a tight embrace.

“Maki-chan!” she whined, her lithe appendage moving about behind her. "You're late, nya'!"

Maki struggled under her friend's grip. "Rin, what are you doing!? Don't change out here in the open like that. Haven't you heard about the increase of attacks lately?"

Rin pouted. "It's fine! I scouted ten times plus one! Not a scary person in sight, I swear! I honor swear!"

"Okay, okay," Maki yielded as Rin let go of her. "By the way, where's Hanayo?"

"I'm right here!"

A small, familiar voice floated across the wind. A tiny winged being descended from the tree branches above, perching herself lightly on Rin's shoulder. Looking close enough, one could see she possessed milky wings that glistened in the moonlight. She wore a loose silky dress, and atop her head of golden brown hair sat a crown of tiny white flowers.

"Kayo-chin!" Rin exclaimed, tapping Hanayo's head lightly with her finger. Hanayo smiled dreamily in response.

"Hello, Hanayo," Maki greeted. She retrieved the rice ball from her purse and held it up for Hanayo to see. "I brought you a present."

Hanayo's pale purple eyes lit up in surprise. "A rice ball!"

"Don't worry. I got something for you, too, Rin," Maki added, seeing Rin pouting. She pulled out the canned tuna and handed it to Rin, who was still upset.

"Hey, don't think you can get away with being late by bringing us gifts, Maki-chan. But..." Rin looked over the can,and when she couldn't pretend to be mad anymore, beamed and brought it to her cheek in joy. "Thank you, nya!"

After Maki and Hanayo took their seats on the bench, Hanayo hopped onto Maki's lap and waited happily, swaying from side to side as Maki unwrapped the rice ball. The evening breeze rustled the tree leaves above, and Rin hummed softly as she pulled back the lid of the tuna can.

"Rin," Maki said nervously. "Do you have a hat to cover your ears?"

"Nope! Forgot it at home." Maki frowned at the nekomata's carelessness. "Maki-chan! I told you not to worry! If anyone asks, I'll say it's cosplay! There are lots of people who do that here! And some look really convincing! The others day I thought a human was one of us and almost revealed myself-"

"Rin!" Maki scolded.

Rin sulked. "I'll be more careful next time..."

Maki decided to let it go for now, but a nagging feeling in her chest still convinced her that Rin should really be careful. Lately, Akihabara has become a hot bed for supernatural creatures such as themselves (partly due to Maki's parents), which granted them more protection and easier living among the human masses, but it was because of their rising numbers that the number of hunters have also been increasing. These hunters were also considered mythical in human eyes. They worked in underground circles, using underhanded and violent tactics to kill off all supernatural creatures -- weather or not they posed any threat to humans. They were overzealous, caring about the numbers and competition between themselves, rather than whoever was caught in the crossfire.

Maki shook her head, trying to dispel the worries clouding her mind and looked down at tiny Hanayo nibbling on a piece of her rice ball. "Sorry I couldn't get you warm rice," Maki said as she smiled. She knew this particular fairy liked it steaming hot.

Hanayo looked up at her and shook her head gleefully with her round cheeks stuffed with rice. "Don't worry. I'm just happy you thought of me and Rin-chan..." The rest of the sentence was lost as Hanayo continued with her mouth full.

"So why were you late, Maki-chan?" Rin asked, her mouth also filled with food. "You're never late, nya."

Just when it had slipped her mind, Maki remembered the odd encounter from earlier "I ran into a weirdo at the convenience store when I bought your food. It's nothing."

Hanayo stopped eating and looked up at her friend with concern. "Weirdo? What do you mean?"

"Yeah. They were wearing a strange getup and just hiding in the bushes," Maki said as she vividly recalled the beige rain coat and ridiculous shades.

"Oh, so an oni?" Rin asked with curious eyes.

"Nope."

"Ah! A bush fairy!"

"Too big."

"Then, a Shirime that mooned you?" 

"Ugh. Definitely not," Maki replied, a bit peeved at Rin's suggestions. "They didn't strip and shove an ass-eye in my face. This was just a normal human stalking around for who knows what."

"Wait." Rin's face fell in concern. "It wasn't the convenience store Coco-chan works at, is it?"

"Coco-chan?" Maki asked. "Who's that?"

"Coco Miyashita-san! She's a zombie first year at Rin's school," Hanayo piped in. She decided to take a break before tackling the rest of her rice ball. "She's really nice! She loves doing volunteer work. I met her during Rin's class."

Maki's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "You mean that cashier girl is a zombie?" She couldn't help but be impressed. Most zombies had trouble maintaining their decaying bodies, but when she saw that girl earlier, she was practically indistinguishable from a normal living being. Vampires like herself were technically undead as well, but unlike zombies, Maki didn't have to worry about her flesh rotting or literally falling apart. She must have put in a lot work to maintain her body, Maki mused.

"This isn't good, nya!" Rin exclaimed with increasing worry. "What if the weirdo you met was a hunter waiting to attack?!"

"No, it couldn't be. They seemed to be pretty harmless," Maki said. _They were wearing a fake nose for goodness sake_.

"I'm sure Coco-chan would be able to handle any attackers by herself!" Hanayo added for additional reassurance. "Don't underestimate Coco-chan. No matter how many times she falls, she keeps coming back."

Rin nodded. "You're right!"

Maki felt a small sliver of relief herself. No matter how strange that girl was, better to run into a nutcase than an actual hunter.

"Oh, look!" Hanayo pointed up to the sky. With a faint twinkle, stars were scattered above them, against deep indigo. "How pretty...."

Maki and Rin both gazed up at the stars, in awe at their natural brilliance. The trio fell silent as they admired the sky. To Maki, a creature that seemed to remain frozen in time as the world constantly changed around her, the stars have always been the one constant in her life -- a silent protector and supporter. Her life was full of limitations. That's just how things were, and she accepted that long ago. But the stars encouraged her to keep going, no matter how hard things were.

The fear of hunters that lingered in Maki's mind quickly blew away with the breeze. Right now all that mattered was the night sky and the friends at her side.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A crack story. Thank a coloring book for the idea. Hope you enjoy.


	2. No.1 Hunter in the Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico Yazawa: born vampire hunter(?), has stumbled upon a new case while Maki Nishikino is just trying to live her life. Little do they know that fate has something in store for both of them....

Otonokizaka High School. An average all-girls school with a long history nestled near the bustling district of Akihabara. Everything appeared pretty modest: the students, the faculty, and the campus itself. If a budding teenage girl wanted to experience a well rounded high school life without the lavishness of a fancier school like UTX Academy, then Otonokizaka was the place to be.

Of course, this unassuming school had its own secrets….

In the darkness of her base of operations, a petite third year typed furiously on her computer. Her eyes scanned over the dimly lit screen, making sure every word was perfect and not a trace of detail left out. After checking it again for what had to have been the fifth time, she brought her cursor to the "submit" button on the lower right of the page. Without any hesitation, her finger swiftly tapped the mouse, and the website briefly loaded until her post finally unleashed itself on the cyber world at large.

 

_**Nico-Nii's Hunting Log #85 - Convenience Stakeout Part 3~** _

 

The title presented in cutesy looking bold font described Nico's results of last night's outing at a certain convenience store. Rumors speculated that the undead roamed within - a zombie to be precise. Nico could only guess what that meant. Perhaps the owner of the place had the zombie lurking in the basement, trapping unsuspecting customers to feed them to his unholy abomination. The series of posts touched upon this wild theory, and unfortunately made up the bulk of the content. As much as Nico didn't want to admit, nothing actually interesting happened over the last three night she hid there. She just watched random people go in and out unscathed; no screams, no signs of struggle, nothing. She even went inside and stood by the magazines for a long time until they grew suspicious, but absolutely nothing bizarre or other worldly ever show itself to her.

Nico huffed out and leaned back in her chair. _This isn't good. I'm getting nowhere..._ Perhaps she needed to think of a new lead to follow. When she tilted her head back to think, the door suddenly burst open and the lights turned on. Nico almost fell out of her seat from the sudden action.

"Good afternoon!" An energetic voice rang throughout the empty room.

The third year twitched and turned to glare at the sudden intrusion. "Honoka!”

Honoka Kousaka giggled a bit while rubbing the back of her head. " Hehe, sorry! What were you doing with the lights off? Your eyes are gonna get bad!"

Nico scowled at her energetic, short haired junior before straightening herself in her chair. "Important business!"

"Oh~ Is it your blog? What are you writing about?! I wanna see-"

"Not yet!" Nico yelled, jumping up and covering the screen with her body. "Look at it on your phone. We need to get the view counter up."

Honoka frowned. "Geez, Nico-chan you're so greedy."

Nico waved off the comment and turned back to the computer while Honoka elected to take a seat at the large table in the middle of the room. While Nico insisted on calling this place the "~Lovely~ Fortress of Vigilance", Honoka just simply knew it as the "Vampire and Other Manner of Supernatural Creatures Research Club", or as the other students called it, the weirdo club -- which she didn't mind being apart of.

Their goal: keeping the town safe from the threat possessed by supernatural beings that lurk in the shadows. At least, that had been the official description. What really went on inside the gloriously underfunded club, lead by their valiant leader, Nico Yazawa, was much different. Each mundane day revolved around Nico updating her blog and Honoka trying to entertain herself and avoid her ever growing pile of homework. There had to be some miracle at work here, since under normal circumstances the club would've been closed long ago. But as it stood, it was just the two of them, "partners in crime" so to speak, trying to make their entry into a mythical world many believed to be nonexistent.

Nico got up to stretch, proceeding to briskly turn towards Honoka. "Did you bring the log book today?"

"Hm?" Honoka perked up, nibbling on a piece of bread. "Oh! I have it right here!"

She proceeded to search through her bag and took out an orange notebook with the words "Supernatural Activities" scribbled on the front. Honoka handed it to Nico, who then began to flip through the pages. It never ceased to amaze (and annoy) the club president that the bulk of the logbook contained nothing more than various doodles of sunflowers and manjuu with happy faces on them, while any entries on her observations were limited to short, non-descriptive sentences, such as:

_Today something weird happened! I was at the burger place when I saw red stains on the table! Might be blood._

Followed by the next day:  _Went back to the burger place. Turns out it was just ketchup. Hehehehe._

Nico flipped to the latest entry, which was considerably longer at six sentences.

_Heard a crash outside my window!! Yukiho and I were really scared. I went outside to check what it was. Saw some weird markings on the ground, so I followed them. Turns out it was just a cat that knocked over a garbage can. It was really cute!_

To finish off the entry, Honoka included a crude doodle of said cat at the bottom of the page.

 _Why did I think today would be any better._ Shaking her head, she set the notebook down and went back to her computer. The zombie story seemed to offer a dead end. The best thing to do was to find a new lead and go from there. She decided to go to her one trusted source -- the only place on the net that any self respecting hunter of the supernatural would associate themselves with. Nico typed in the address and was greeted with a black login screen with bright red font that said “The League of Vanquishing Evil - Located in Various Establishments”, otherwise known as L.O.V.E L.I.V.E.

Honoka could laugh at the name all she wanted, but Nico idolized this place. Some of the most prestigious hunters gathered here -- hidden heroes keeping the world safe from danger -- and shared their information as well as tales of their exploits. After logging into the homepage, she clicked on the forums and perused the topics in the Recent Sightings page. The topic about the convenience store zombie couldn’t be found anywhere.

 _Hmph._ Nico thought to herself. _Looks like another false sighting after all._

About 60% of the sightings reported ended up this way. The system had a simple setup: if a rumored sighting wasn’t updated within a certain amount of time, the topic would be locked and deleted. Unfortunately for many hunters, both green and proficient, the Sightings section wasn't fool proof, and they had to deal with constant false alarms and trolls (sadly not the mythical kind). As much as she loved this place, the very fact that these sightings ended up as baloney made her stick to posting on her own blog. She didn’t want to look like one of those idiots who mistook an earthquake for a poltergeist. Embarrassing herself like that in front of her respected peers was too much.

Nico skimmed through the posts, trying to spot anything she deemed worth her time.

“Let see…” she muttered. “‘Giant Spotted in Yoyogi Park’, yeah right. ‘Giant Spider Creeping in Roppongi Hills’, as if. ‘Rodents of Unusual Size Spotted in Swamp’….”

“Wow, giants must be popular,” Honoka interrupted, peering over Nico’s shoulder.

Nico scoffed. “These are all phony. I mean, look at this. This spider pic was clearly pulled from Son of Godzilla, and this is a picture from the Princess Bride!”

“Scroll down!” Honoka insisted, bringing her seat over to Nico. “This looks promising! ‘Headless Rider Spotted in Ikebukuro’!”

“No, that’s stupid,” Nico said, rolling her eyes in disbelief. She wandered down the page, suddenly spotting an interesting post. “But this one though, now this has promise!”

Honoka took a closer look at the topic Nico loaded. “‘Vampires Stalking Hospitals For Virgin Blood’?”

“It looks pretty recent,” Nico commented as she got further into the details. “The OP said they sighted them the other night, going from patient room to patient room in search of blood to feed on. And not just any blood. Virgin blood!”

“But,” Honoka began, tilting her head in confusion. “How can they tell if they’re a virgin?”

“I thought we went over this,” Nico sighed in slight irritation. “And I’m not going to-“

The door clicking open halted anything Nico had to say, and the two research club members turned to see who had the honor of visiting their humble headquarters.

“Excuse us!”  

Honoka beamed at their visitors and got up from her chair to greet them. "Kotori-chan! Umi-chan!" The sandy blonde haired girl gave a happy wave while her companion with deep blue hair smiled modestly. Nico knew the girls as Kotori Minami and Umi Sonoda -- two longtime friends and classmates of Honoka's that had the habit of interrupting their meetings (not that there was anything to interrupt). Nico waved back as the visitors entered the room and sat at the table.

"Hello Kotori, Umi."

"Hi Nico-chan," Kotori replied.

"Good afternoon," Umi greeted softly.

"Did you just finish with archery club, Umi-chan?" Honoka asked, starting on her second piece of bread. She handed Kotori a piece but Kotori declined with a small wave.

"Yes. We got a lot done today, thankfully."

"Umi-chan looked really cool!" Kotori chimed in.

"Kotori...” Umi blushed at the compliment as her friend giggled. She quickly fixed her composure and followed with a question. “Anyway, what have you two been doing today?”

Nico scooted away from her computer and pointed to the topic on the screen. “We have a new case to follow,” her voice full of confidence. All feelings of hopelessness had dissipated and right now any signs of frustration on her face were replaced with a wide smile. This case couldn’t have been more perfect.

“A vampire has been sighted stalking hospitals!” Nico continued, her enthusiasm growing into an excessive cutesiness that extended to her speech and body motions. “Luckily, Nico-Nii’s specialization happens to be vampires. If they happen to run into me, they won’t get a chance to blink before I stab a stake in their heart, nico~”

An awkward silence took over her guests as they saw her strike a cute pose. Nico always had a thing for her unique “hunter image”, even if it made a serious contrast to her temperament.

“Hey, Umi-chan,” Honoka interrupted. “Do _you_ know how vampires find virgin blood?”

“W-what?” Umi said slightly taken aback. “Honoka, I wouldn’t really….”

“You must know something. Nico-chan won’t tell me again!”

“Anyway!” Nico’s sweet exterior shattered to reveal her grumpiness once more. “This case is big. BIG! If we jump on this now, it’ll cement us as the real deal. This could be the biggest catch of my hunting career.”

“Huh? I thought you said the winged Minakinsly creature would be the biggest catch of your career?” Honoka asked.

“It’s _Minalinsky_ ,” Nico corrected her, not catching Kotori wincing in her seat. “I’m saving that for another time. Anything involving a vampire takes top priority.”

“D-definitely!” Kotori stuttered out of the blue. “Sounds like a smart move, Nico-chan, ehehehe.…”

Nico gave the fidgeting second year an odd look, but quickly dismissed her behavior. “The topic has a list of places they’ll most likely strike. Honoka, you and I are going on a stakeout tonight!”

“Huh? Me!?” Honoka said in dismay.

“Don’t tell me you’re skipping out again,” Nico asked with displeasure reflecting in her ruby eyes. Not like this was the first time the other sole member didn’t accompany her on a hunt.

“What about you guys?” Nico turned towards Umi and Kotori. "Since you two come here almost every day, why don't you just join the club already and help us out?" Even if they were getting by with Honoka and herself, the research club would never turn down the opportunity to gather new blood. "Especially you, Umi. Your bow and arrows could come in handy during the hunt." Nico further emphasized this by drawing the string of an invisible bow.

Umi shook her head with a smile. "We've already been over this, Nico. My obligations belong to the archery club, and that alone keeps me very busy."

"Oh fine," the third year relented before giving Kotori a striking glare.

"Wah!" Kotori yelped, recoiling in her chair in fright.

"What about _you_? You have no excuse."

Kotori laughed nervously. "W-well..."

"Nico-chan!" Honoka reprimanded. She took a step towards Kotori, hunched over and embraced her in her seat. "You can't force Kotori-chan like that! I know we're low on members but this isn't the way!"

"In that case, are you coming with me tonight or not?!"

"I can't! Umi-chan, Kotori-chan and I need to work on an assignment together!"

"Assignment?" Confusion began to creep on Kotori’s face.

"Yeah!" Honoka exclaimed. "The one for Math." She nudged Kotori on the shoulder sharply with her elbow.

"Ow! O-oh yeah. That assignment. How could I forget?"

"Since when did you care about homework?" Nico questioned, raising her eyebrow.

"This one's really important! I'm sorry!" She clapped her hands and bowed her head. "I'll bring you some special manjuu from our shop tomorrow. Promise!"

Nico wouldn't have any of it.

"Fine! I'll just take a look by myself. _Again_." She jolted out her chair, grabbed her bag off the floor and marched angrily out of the clubroom and into the hallway.

"D-does this mean the meeting is over!?" Honoka yelled out the door, but she got no reply.

The third year stormed through the hallway, her twin tails bouncing as she fumed over the lack of any assistance. Not like she really needed it anyway. She could take on a vampire all by herself. This was something she spent years preparing for.  

Trying to get her mind off Honoka’s “betrayal”, Nico opened up her phone and browsed back to the topic, scrolling over the list of hospitals. They were organized from highest to lowest in terms of probability level, and fortunately most of the prized areas were within reach. Looking among the top three feeding grounds, Nico pondered over the location she’d camp at tonight. If she were a vampire, she might avoid a large hospital; a place much smaller and less conspicuous would be very ideal. With that train of thought, Nico designated the last place a vampire would most likely strike.

 _Nishikino Hospital_.

She burned the name into her memory. _Just you wait, vampire. Nico-Nii will be coming for you!_

 

* * *

 

Centuries ago, when Japan just started opening up from its long term isolation, a vampire nobleman fled to the secluded island country to escape a band of Christian hunters pursuing him. They had chased him far and wide, and the nobleman hoped to finally earn peace in this strange land. Unfortunately his pursuers were persistent, and they tracked him to his new home in their overzealous mission to kill all unholy creatures.

They clashed several times, the vampire a difficult adversary to kill due to his age and experience. One by one he wore down their numbers, and during a decisive battle he finally killed the last hunter. However, this battle left the vampire heavily wounded and quite vulnerable to the coming sunrise. Just when he thought his end was near, a pair of doctors happened upon his wounded body and took him to their home.

The vampire survived thanks to them, and after spending much time together, he felt an immense debt needed to be repaid to his human saviors. He revealed his supernatural nature to them, offering the chance at something priceless: immortality as vampires. The doctors, both married to each other, considered the offer carefully, unsure if such a life was truly for them. However, the vampire explained that other supernatural creatures resided across the land and that they were misunderstood to be evil, when in reality, they were just trying to survive. If the doctors became vampires, it would allow them to watch over the supernatural community for years to come. After giving it much thought, the doctors agreed to his offer, and from that day were transformed into a new immortal existence.

They moved around the country, earning a reputation among the supernatural populace as healers who would rarely turn anyone (or thing) away. Years later, their travels came to an end when they learned they were to have a child - a girl to be precise. They settled down and opened a hospital near what is now Akihabara, and have been supporting the now sprawling community of the supernatural for many years. As for the vampire nobleman they saved, he disappeared one day without a word, never to be heard of again. Still, his legacy endured, and thanks to him, the doctors, known today as the Nishikino family, had a prominent role in keeping the secretive mythical community safe.

And as for their daughter, Maki, she carried that responsibility as well.

She stood in front of the hospital, staring at the brick façade. Even though it only stood at two floors tall, the unassuming hospital had its hands full at the moment. At times like these, more assistance was required, and she was always willing to help her parents when need be. At least she'd be doing something out of the house. Aside from the moments where she met friends or helped her parents, Maki simply stayed at home, constantly practicing and writing music while learning more about the outside world she couldn't be a part of.

Maki stepped through the sliding doors, the familiar sight of the reception desk greeting her. Behind it sat a sleepy looking girl with long light brown hair, a bit slow to respond to the hospital's latest visitor.

"Ah, Maki-chan," the receptionist yawned. "Glad to see you're here."

"Kanata," Maki said, crossing her arms. "It's not good to look like you're sleeping on the job."

"Oh, but I am..." she trailed off.

 _That's even worse_ , Maki thought. "Is my mother up in the office?"

"Yes, she is. Which reminds me," Kanata pulled out a pillow, set it on the desk, and rested her head on the plush surface. She closed her eyes with a dreamy smile. "She asked me to take care of some papers earlier. But... I'll have Haruka start on it while I take a nap...."

Maki just sighed. _Typical Kanata, always relying on her younger sister. Looking at her now, who would think she’s our first line of defense against danger...._

She left the sleeping receptionist and made her way towards her parents' office. Her footsteps echoed across the empty halls with hardly a soul in sight. Even the patient rooms themselves were mostly vacant, save for one or two people admitted for whatever reason. For a hospital notoriously respected, the whole building felt like an absolute ghost town. Of course, Maki knew where the _real_ action took place.

When she reached her parents’ office, she knocked on the door softly before opening it. Inside the neatly kept space, her mother, a beautiful and intelligent woman, shuffled some papers before looking up to greet her.

“Hello, Maki-chan,” she said smiling. If anyone else were present, they would note how similar both daughter and mother were in appearance, as not only did they have similar features, but Mrs. Nishikino looked quite young herself. Vampires aged gracefully, after all.

“Hello, Mama,” Maki waved. She closed the door behind and walked to her mother's desk. "Is everything going well tonight?"

"Aside from the business down stairs, it's going smoothly," Mrs. Nishikino said as she relaxed in her seat. "But your father especially has his hands full."

Maki figured as much. Although everything seemed fine on the first floor, below told a different story. Underneath, only accessed by a hidden entrance in the back, several subterranean levels served as the real hospital for their unique patients. Compared to the sparseness above, hospital staff moved to and fro in a constant state of activity downstairs, providing all they could for their guests' unique needs. From werewolves who were shot by silver bullets to cyclopes who needed an optometrist, and of course, vampires who needed a supply of human blood, they were all taken care of by Maki’s parents and a select pool of professionals. Maki found it dizzying to imagine how her family set this all up, with her mother only making jokes about how mole rat people had a hand in it.

"So, what would you like me to do?"

"Well," Mrs. Nishikino began, “I need you to check on a human patient before doing a bit of cleaning on the surface floors. She just checked in earlier, so I'd like to make sure she's alright. When I spoke to her, she was complaining of stomach problems. She may need some medicine to put her at ease for the night.”

Maki shrugged. “Alright, seems easy enough. But does Papa need any help with patients downstairs?”

Mrs. Nishikino shook her head. “No. We need you up here tonight.”

Disappointed, Maki frowned as she prepared to head out. “I’ll get on it right away.”

“Great!” Her mother smiled, clasping her hands together. “She’s in room nine. Make sure to knock before you go in.”

Leaving the room, Maki held some ambivalence towards the task her mother gave her. Even though the work in the lower levels proved stressful, she would rather be helping the community than changing sheets and cleaning floors. Treating the stomach problems of a ghoul who ate french fries sounded miles better than treating the stomach problems of a human.

"Guess there's no helping it," Maki told herself, ready to face the night's tasks. "What's the worse that could happen?"

 

* * *

 

Taking a second glance at the door, Nico adjusted the position of her mini camcorder inside her bag, ensuring that it could still see out of the small hole torn on the side. Who knew Cocoro's old backpack would come in handy at a hunt like this. Nico switched on the night vision and swiveled the screen to check for clarity. The first part of her plan worked. Getting admitted into the hospital had been an easy task. Now came the hard part: catching the vampire in the act.

Not only did she bring something to document her mission (which would be posted online as soon as possible), she also made sure to bring things which she could protect herself with. Among her vast arsenal, tonight she brought along her signature weapons: a stake which she carved down from a table leg, painted an obnoxious pink, and a pink spray bottle made to look like perfume, but actually contained holy water Nico stole from a nearby church. Unlike some hunters who possessed flashier weapons, Nico insisted that the bare bones was essential in her role as "everyone's vampire hunter". Who needed complicated weapons when her own skills could shine through?

Nico carefully positioned the bag on the side table, hitting the record button and hopped into the bed to feign sleep. She fought to suppress a big smile on her face, the excitement of possibly (finally!) facing a vampire too much to contain. The antsy hunter hadn't felt adrenaline this high since she caught a glimpse of Minalinsky in the sky, but that was another story, and now a new chapter would begin right here.

“Time to play the waiting game, nico….”

Waiting. The most difficult battle a hunter faced. No matter how many times Nico has done this, she never got used to waiting, especially because it usually ended with disappointment. At least she laid in a nice comfy bed instead of standing outside in the middle of the night. If she wasn’t careful, she might actually fall asleep.

Her mind flashed back to several stakeouts she had in the span of her career, like the time where she hid in an alley next to a pub in order to catch a glimpse of a druid notorious for their bad puns. Or that one day where she waited outside a bank to catch a tiny money-loving devil in a green suit.… Never again. Especially when customers thought she stood out there to beg for money. It didn’t help that she had a hat full of yen in order to attract the greedy demon.

A lot of these missions ended up futile, but Nico couldn’t call herself a true hunter if she gave up at every inconclusive lead.

She began to feel a little drowsy when a knock on the door immediately snapped her awake. She didn’t respond, trying to discern the situation. It could just be a hospital attendant… or it could be the vampire she had been waiting for! Grasping the pink bottle under the sheets, she braced herself for the worst. _Cocoro, Cocoa, Cotaro, she prayed. If I don’t make it out alive, know that your big sister lost her life in a valiant act of courage!_

A young woman’s voice slipped through the small crack of the door as it opened. “I’m coming in.”

 

* * *

 

Maki walked down the hall with a tray which carried two paper cups, one with stomach medicine, and the other filled with water. She really hoped this girl was asleep. Talking to strangers wasn't exactly her strong suit, especially when it came to small talk.

Before she knew it, she found herself in front of the patient’s door, labeled with a plastic “9”. She rested one side of the tray against her hip and gave a sturdy knock. When no response came, she opened the door slightly before giving a warning of her intrusion.

“I’m coming in.”

The patient's room was enveloped in darkness, even with the hallway light behind Maki leaking in. However, she could see the person laying in bed, their back to the door. “Hello?” Still no answer. _They must be asleep,_ she thought. _Good_. Maki walked towards the bed quietly, and set down the tray on the wooden side table next to the patient’s bag - a worn, childish looking backpack.

Relieved nothing went wrong, she decided to pause and take a breath. Her eyes wandered down to the girl on the bed. She looked small -- like a child -- and Maki couldn’t help but wonder where her parents were. _Poor thing. A child shouldn’t be left alone if they’re feeling ill._

For vampires, the concept of independence among their children had been influenced by their longevity. At a young age, a vampire was taught to stand on their own two feet, to live a life without relying too much on their parents. Not to say that vampires were disconnected from one another - family ties were very important, and Maki’s family was no exception.

Yet at the same time, their frequent absence created a noticeable distance between them. They relied on her independence too much, and didn’t seem to realize that even the most independent people needed someone to talk to from time to time. Even if it didn’t feel long, 150 years made this gap even more noticeable in her eyes. If this little girl felt any hint of loneliness, Maki could emphasize with her.

She leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the child. When she saw that their face was partially obscured by the blanket, she began to turn around to exit the room.

What happened next was a series of events too quick for her to even process. The sleeping child suddenly sprung up from the bed, holding up a pink perfume bottle tensely. Maki yelled, backing away from the violent movement out of reflex, her flailing arm toppling the side table's contents on the ground before falling herself.

The child, with an outstretched arm, aimed the spray bottle at Maki, shaking slightly. “Think you can get me at my most vulnerable, huh?”

“What?” Maki said dumbfounded.

“But the tables have turned! Your days are over now, Monster! Have a taste of Nico-Nico-Nii~!”

The next action confused Maki even more as the girl pressed her finger down on the bottle, only to abruptly yelp and fall backwards off the bed, causing a large crash. For a good few seconds, Maki was frozen in disbelief.

 _Did she just spray her own face?_ Maki thought.

Hesitantly, Maki got off the floor and turned on the lights. She slowly checked the other side of the bed for the child, and found her body laid on its side, twitching a bit like a crushed cockroach. Ignoring the previous events, Maki wanted to make sure she wasn’t hurt.

“A-are you alright?”

The child didn’t respond. Instead they turned themselves a bit towards her, a scowl clearly visible on her flustered face.

“Y-you… I’m not alright!” She whined. She swiftly sat up and rubbed her shoulder, continuing to mumble to herself.

Looking at her now, this girl didn’t look too much like a kid. Despite her tiny body, they looked like someone slightly older. Middle school maybe? Although this person wasn’t a child, she sure did act like one.

“Just _what_ were you doing?” Maki demanded, the attacker looking away from her, trying to hide her shame. “I just came to give you some stomach medicine, then you jump out and try to attack me!”

“N-no I didn’t,” the girl stammered, still sitting on the floor. “I was just… trying to play a prank!”

“This is a hospital. There’s no room for jokes in a place like this.”

“What? Haven’t you seen Patch Adams?”

“No, I haven’t, and I don’t want to," Maki put her hands on her hips. “Now tell me what you’re up to, or we’re kicking you out.”

The mysterious troublemaker remained stubbornly quiet while Maki stared down at her. Just who was this girl? An assassin? No, too dumb. It didn’t look like they were targeting anyone important like her parents, since her mother didn’t get in harms way when she checked on her. Compared to the danger of being assaulted by the hunters and their myriad of groups, this seemed so trivial.

She studied the girl some more, noting her long dark hair tied into twin tails with red ribbons. _Wait_. _This seems oddly familiar_. She attempted to recall where she’d seen someone with a matching description, but before she could come to a conclusion, the girl on the floor let out a startled gasp, pointing a finger directly at her.

“It’s you!” She exclaimed in surprise, quickly standing up.

“Don’t tell me,” Maki’s eyes widened as she, too, came to a revelation. “You’re that weirdo outside the convenience store last night!”

“Hey, don’t call me a weirdo!” The girl demanded. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“My parents own this hospital,” Maki answered firmly. “You haven’t even answered my question yet: What are _you_ up to?”

“I-I…I was.... Ahhhhhh!” She suddenly yelled again, this time in horror. She darted past Maki, turning to the other side of the bed towards the table. “My bag!”

She crouched down in a panic, Maki slowly approaching her to see the commotion. On her knees, the strange girl rummaged through the contents of the kiddy bag, pulling out a small camcorder. Her hand shook, a thumb tapping the power button repeatedly. Despite her efforts the screen did not flicker to life.

“You broke it!”

“Me!?” Maki cried out at the sudden accusation.

“Yes you!” The girl retorted, setting it down on the floor. “You’re the one who knocked it down!”

“And whose fault do you think that was?”

The girl pouted, a cold silence casted over the conversation as the two exchanged fierce glares. Amid the tense staredown, Maki wondered what her next course of action should be. Call the police and let them deal with her? Too risky. Then again, letting hospital security handle this would be too extreme -- worse if Kanata somehow become aroused in dealing with the little agitator. Not to mention the sleepy girl had little to no subtlety when it came to not giving themselves away.

Maki was about to open her mouth to say something, but a low rumble stopped her. The other girl put a hand to her stomach, looking at Maki with a crooked frown. She averted her eyes, muttering: “I’m hungry.”

“Huh?”

“I said, I’m hungry!” She stood up, and crossed her arms resolutely. “Buy me food!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of those who are enjoying the work, thank you. I must say that this is being written by myself and my sister. You can thank her for the coloring book that sparked the idea for the story. I hope you're excited for what's to come.


	3. Burgers and Blood Packs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being "assaulted" in the Nishikino hospital, Maki has a chance to sit down and question the mysterious attacker about her motives. Unfortunately, she ends up getting a lot more than she bargains for.

_I can't believe I got myself in this mess._

Maki gripped the hefty tray of food she held, the smell of cooked beef and greasy oil assaulting her nostrils. After the odd encounter, the mysterious attacker (more like a pest at this point) dragged her a good long distance to a burger joint situated somewhere in town. Outside of rude directions and comments on pace, the two didn’t have any interactions. When they got inside the slightly empty establishment, the twin-tailed girl gave her some crude instructions on her order and sat at a table by the window. Maki opted to stay by the food counter for the order rather than sit and wait with her “new acquaintance”. Now that she had the meal in question, the real challenge came next. If she thought small talk with strangers was troubling enough, striking up a conversation with a girl who had the nerve (or idiocy from what Maki could see) to sneak into her family hospital and try to assault her out of the blue proved to be a whole other beast.

A part of her wished things turned out differently; if she hadn’t broken the girl’s camcorder, then she wouldn’t have been stuck buying them food. Not that it was her fault anyway. She had to explain to her mother that an emergency came up involving "a friend” while the newly arrived patient had themselves “check out” of the hospital, and already troubles were starting to stack up one on top of another. Still, no matter how difficult it became, Maki understood two advantages to buying her food: it got the girl out of the hospital as fast as possible, and provided an opportunity where Maki could question her motives.

The unsettled vampire walked slowly to the table, her strange guest occupying themselves with staring out the window with an odd stillness.

“Here it is,” Maki announced as she neared the table. Tonight’s menu consisted of one large burger accompanied by a large fries and soda. _This girl doesn’t shy away from expenses if someone else handles the bill,_ she thought. When she got to the table and set down the tray, the girl turned to her, wearing a sour look on her face. Then without any words, she began to vicariously dig into her meal.

Maki took a seat and eyed her, noting that she could very well be a werewolf with the way she ravenously tore through her burger, which was followed by an aggressive sip of her soda. If she didn’t have any stomach problems before, then she would have some soon enough. The girl’s face still held some bitterness, and Maki couldn’t help but wonder where to go from here.

“Hey,” the redhead said cautiously as the girl threw a hand full of french fries into her mouth. “I... hope you aren’t too mad about the camcorder. In any case.... Sorry.”

Maki paused right after, mentally slapping herself for the words that left her lips. _Wait. Why am I the one apologizing!? She should be apologizing to me!_  Even though the girl was far from a little kid, the way she acted still kept the image up. She looked like a child who lost her favorite toy, sans the crying (kinda) that resulted. All that remained was the moody aftermath with its unpredictable actions. In fact, it felt rather pitiful, and probably what preyed on the vampire’s sympathies. 

Maki shook her head, trying to focus on what she should really be doing. Having this strange attacker in front of her offered the opportunity to figure out their identity. Were they a spy? The camcorder certainly added to that angle. Did they know about the hospital’s operations? Who were they working for in that case? Maki became so wrapped up in the quirky nature surrounding the perpetrator that she almost lost sight of a dire threat to the hospital’s well being, and that of the supernatural community at large. Whatever they were up to, she had to know right now.

“Don’t apologize.”

“What?” Maki broke from her train of thought, and she looked up to see the girl gulp down her soda once more to wash down all the food she consumed before speaking again.

“I said, don’t apologize,” she repeated, fixing her vision on the window. She still looked irritated, but it was noticeably softer than before. “I mean... it was your fault.... But I’m also to blame, I guess.... So call it even?"

Maki blinked in surprise. This girl was more honest than she thought.

“Sure,” she replied afterward. “I hope the food at least makes up for it.”

“It’ll do,” the child-like girl said as she dumped what was left of her fries into her mouth. “Besides, that camcorder’s garbage anyway. What about you though? Aren’t you gonna eat something yourself?”

“Oh... don’t worry about me,” Maki let out hesitantly. “I ate something earlier.”

“Your loss then,” she said. By now the entire tray had been cleared of food, save for used napkins and crumpled wrappings. She looked at it satisfyingly, then gave Maki a smile. “But really, thanks for the meal.”

Such a display took Maki aback. _An apology and a thank you? This girl had manners after all._

 _Wait. Wait wait wait._ In an abrupt motion Maki slammed her hands down on the table, startling her companion as her face shifted to a rather intense scowl. “What am I doing!? What’s with this hospitality all of a sudden!? I can’t believe I’m getting off track here!” _Was this girl even human_ , she wondered. They had to have some kind of magical ability to be able to distract her this much.

“Egh! W-what’s with you right now?” The girl leaned back a bit in shock. “Don’t tell me you’re still mad about what happened in the hospital. I apologized! Kinda.... Sorta....”

Maki was about to counter with something but realized in the corner of her eye that some of the restaurant patrons were starting to stare at the commotion she just caused. With much restraint, the vampire loosened herself up a bit and formulated her next course of action. Doing a full-on interrogation with her yelling would just attract unwanted attention. Instead, Maki fixed herself in her seat, and proceeded to give the culprit a stern, authoritative glare.

“First of all, you haven’t told me your name yet. Second, you never answered my question from before: why were you there faking sick? And don’t give me that ‘prank’ excuse either.”

The girl looked back at her, oddly enough, with an eager grin on her face. “Hehe, fine. I’ll tell you who I am. I'm Nico. Nico Yazawa.” She spoke her full name in a style that signified some kind of importance, and Maki tried to keep up her rigid image against the haughty delivery.

“If I told you about my activities,” Nico went on, “you wouldn’t believe me. Anyway, I wasn’t there to cause trouble to you or the patients. In fact, I was there to protect your humble little hospital from dark forces~” Her tone had taken a dramatic shift from that of an ill-tempered child to something highly saccharine, like one of those perky teenagers that Maki caught a glimpse of on television. Highly innocent and playful... and highly annoying to boot.

"Dark forces?" She questioned the eccentric girl before her. "Oh, I get it. You must be one of those middle schoolers with crazy delusion I keep hearing about. Chuunibyou was it?"

"Hey!" Nico said highly peeved, that cutesy voice of hers dissipating. "I'm not in middle school, I'm in high school. And I do _not_ have Chuunibyou! Those fools wouldn’t last a second in my occupation."

"And that would be?"

Nico folded her arms, her posture straightening up with a sparkle of pride in her ruby red eyes. "I'm a vampire hunter."

That title was enough to make Maki’s blood run cold. Well, colder than it already is. Her entire being grew tense as her mind grasped what was happening. Hunters were usually things Maki heard about, but never actually _saw_. She heard the stories; tales of some of the most dangerous encounters from her parents or the hospital staff, or accounts from injured victims of their brutal attacks. In each story, these hunters treated her kind with neither pity or mercy. Their morals were extreme -- there were no gray areas, just black and white. They didn’t see the beings they hunted as anything but animals. In truth, they were the _real_ animals. Thoughtless, brutal animals. Since being brought into this world many decades ago, Maki had been lucky enough to never have a run-in with these people.

Until now.

Hunters themselves were terrifying as they were. But one specifically after vampires? If Maki had a pulse, her heart beat would have increased greatly at the situation she found herself in. Her parents, the hospital, and all vampires in the area faced an immense danger to their safety. For all she knew, this girl herald the coming of even more hunters, bloodthirsty (ironically) enough to purge them of their existence.

“Now, now,” Nico said after her pompous declaration. “No need to be star-struck or anything. I’m just a normal girl like you~ But the difference here is that I’ve had years and years of elite, secret training at a hidden waterfront facility. You can sleep safely knowing Nico-Nii is always looking out for you! But don’t be selfish! I’m everyone’s super vampire hunter after all~! “

Maki stared at her in disbelief. _Is she for real?_

“Here!” The self-proclaimed vampire hunter took out something from her bag and slid it across the table - a small piece of paper. Maki picked it up slowly, just in case it was some elaborate trap. But rather than being a talisman in disguise, all it contained was Nico’s name, occupation, and contact info in curly red font, set against a pastel pink background with several heart scattered across the small space.

“This is my calling card. Keep it just in case you run into any supernatural danger. It also has the added special benefit of being a priceless memento once I become world famous! Consider it a treasure when the time comes, nico~”

All feelings of panic had been thrown out the window. A joke. A practical joke. That had to be the only logical explanation for what was going on. _Who set this all up?_  It had to be Reine. The little devil has always played bothersome pranks on her for years when she had the chance. Maki could only imagine the mischievous girl grinning somewhere in the corner, watching her sit through this nonsense playing out.

“You can quit the act, you know,” Maki said, quite unamused. “If you think this is funny, I don’t find it funny in the slightest.”

Nico furrowed her brow in annoyance. “Hey, I’m serious!”

“Sure you are,”  Maki responded sarcastically. “What kind of hunter has a ‘calling card’? Especially one that looks like this?”

“I’ll have you know that as a professional, you need to be ready to offer your services to anyone who might need it." The petite girl slumped back in her seat, looking a bit insulted by the comments she received. “If someone is under attack by a gang of oni, the number on that card could save their life!”

“Oni? I thought you said you were a vampire hunter!?”

“Oh, the title is just a formality,” Nico waved her hand nonchalantly. “And I didn’t want to call myself a ‘monster hunter’ or a ‘demon slayer’. Too many tryhards use those. If you focus on a specialty and title yourself on that specialty, it gives a sense of weight and purpose! So while I might focus on vampires, if there’s anything involving creatures like wendigos or toilet ghosts, you can bet I’ll take the case!”

Maki shook her head. _Not even Reine could come up with a prank this elaborate_.

“So... how many cases have you taken?” Maki asked, causing the hunter in front of her to twitch. “Surely an ‘experienced’ hunter like you has encounter many of these mythical creatures before.”

“O-oh! I’ve taken dozens!”

“And how many of these creatures have you actually come across?”

“W-w-well, I almost found a wendigo once. And there’s a toilet ghost in my school, supposedly....”

“So I take that as a zero,” Maki said flatly. “Then, have you even seen a vampire?”

“Oh... Um... I have!”

“And that was?”

“Ah... yesterday!”

“Yeah, right,” Maki snorted. _Although that isn’t quite a lie_. “Admit it. You haven’t encountered any supernatural beings before. Probably because they don’t exist.”

“H-hold on!” Nico protested, a slight blush on her cheeks. “Okay, I might not have fought any battles with them yet, but they’re definitely not something out of anime. They’re the real thing!”

"Okay then, so called 'hunter'," Maki scoffed. "What were you doing at the hospital? Searching for more wendigos?"

"I told you already!" Nico seemed to shove her face closer to Maki, who leaned back in response to keep distance. "I was trying to defend the place! You may not realize it, but there's a vampire roaming hospitals for virgin blood!"

" _Virgin_ blood?"

"Yes, virgin blood. All vampires desire virgin blood the most. To them it's like a delicacy!"

Maki sighed to herself. _Another stereotype_.

“That’s why I decided to check in at your hospital. I’d act as bait for the vampire, and if they tried to come and suck Nico’s precious blood, I’d be ready for them! I even brought my trusted weapons with me. Especially,” Nico rummaged through her bag again and proudly presented a small, bright pink wooden stake. “This!”

“A stake?” The bemused redhead asked as she examined it closely.

“Why?” Nico asked, frowning in irritation. “What’s wrong with it? It’s the ultimate vampire slaying weapon.”

“Yes, but it's a _pink_ stake,” Maki continued unimpeded. She heard of swords, guns, and other forms of weaponry being used by hunters, and even though stakes were an infamous tool to use, they were never so... colorful. “Why would any hunter want to parade around something like that? And don’t tell me you only carry one.”

Nico’s grimace grew deeper. “The color is my own personal flair! And who says you need more than one stake anyway? Only inexperienced hunters need to bring more with them to compensate for their lack of skill.”

“Says the veteran vampire hunter?”

"Don't patronize me!" Nico burst out furiously. "This isn’t a game of make believe!” She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms with a huff. “Why is everyone so blind to what’s really going on? You’re all so ready to believe in silly things like Santa, but you wave off things like vampires and the yeti as fiction?”

Maki shot up from her chair. “You take that back!” She demanded, visibly appalled.

“What!?”

“How dare you imply Santa doesn’t exist!” She glared at Nico intensely, then remembered there were other people who were undoubtedly watching their exchange. Maki sat down and closed her eyes to regain composure. _I need to calm down. Santa would disapprove_.

“Pfft,” Nico snickered. “Did I offend you, Ms. Non-Believer?” When Maki didn’t respond, she proceeded to use the silence to continue her speech. “Wake up, people! The truth is out there! And _I’ll_ be the one to bring it to light, just you wait!” With this last statement, Nico stood up, swinging her arms outward as a grand gesture. Her hand hit the window next to them with a loud thud, causing Nico to yelp in pain.

“Right. Well, clearly I’ve wasted my time here. I was foolish to think you were some sort of threat. But you’re just a little girl with an overactive imagination.” Maki got up from her seat for the last time, grabbing her belongings. She was very much ready to return to the hospital. “You can keep your calling card. Give it to someone who might actually believe you.” She turned away and began to walk toward the door before turning around to deliver her final words. “And if I see you in my parents’ hospital again, I’m seriously calling the police. _That_ isn’t make believe.”

Nico was seething with anger, and Maki could feel her fierce glare burrowing into the back of her head as if it was that ugly pink stake.

“I hope you get on Santa’s naughty list this year!” Nico yelled after Maki as she disappeared out the door.

* * *

 

The night was still as Maki rounded the corner of her street. When she returned to the hospital, she found the tasks that her mother gave her were already completed by Kanata’s more reliable sister, Haruka. To Maki’s relief, Mrs. Nishikino gave her permission to go home while the lower level of the hospital continued its flurry of activities. Normally, she would welcome additional work, but after dealing with that ridiculous girl, she could use some quiet time.

During the walk home, Maki did all she could to erase the troublesome encounter from her mind by running through various topics: constellations, music, different species anatomies -- but for one reason or another, her thoughts always wandered back to that embarrassing excuse of a hunter. No doubt Rin would find it funny, but when did she ever take things seriously?

Approaching the large mansion, she got out her keys, eager to get inside and get some blood to calm her nerves. She opened the door and was greeted by complete darkness that stretched across the hallway. Maki took off her shoes and put on her house slippers, then proceeded down the long hallway toward the kitchen. Tomorrow night the fridge would be restocked, allowing Maki to drink an extra share of the scarlet liquid. _I think I deserve it tonight_ , she thought with a sigh.

As she got closer, Maki paused. Her eyes caught a sliver of light escaping from the kitchen door, which had been opened slightly. _Strange, I thought I turned off the light before I left_. The light that spilled out was much softer than the usual room light. In fact, it looked like the light emitted from something like a flashlight. Maki grew stiff, unsure of what she had to deal with this time. _It's just not my night, is it?_

Cautiously, she opened the door, making sure it wouldn't creak. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a hooded figure standing before her open fridge, which explained the light. She couldn’t believe it -- someone was raiding their fridge! Could it be another vampire? Or just some ordinary vandal? Even if break-ins weren’t commonplace, the mansion did look like a prime spot for a robbery after all.

 _Although they picked the wrong place to rob_ , Maki noted.

She watched the intruder for a moment to assess the danger level. The person wasn’t doing much except for reaching in and out of the fridge. No longer feeling the need to hide herself, she flicked on the light switch, and stepped into the kitchen fearlessly to confront the criminal.

“You!” She hollered. “Stop what you’re doing right now!”

The hooded figure jumped, letting out a high pitch squeak as several packets of blood fell to the floor with a slap. Instead of trying to run away in fear or attack, they pulled down their hood, two orange braids bouncing, revealing a familiar face.

“M-Maki-sama!” They said, panic stricken. “It’s just me!”

Maki exhaled a breath of relief and the tension in her body died down. “Geez, Fumie.” She walked closer to the girl who boastfully called herself ‘Maki-sama’s faithful servant’ and bent down to help pick up the dropped blood packs. “What are you doing with the lights off? You look like a criminal.”

“I was just quickly ‘dropping’ by, so I didn’t feel the need!” She laughed at her own horrible joke as Maki rolled her eyes. “But you sure startled me just now.”

“Well, I didn’t know you were coming in tonight,” Maki replied, putting the remaining blood packs into the fridge.

“Didn’t you see my bike outside?”

“Huh? Actually... I didn’t notice.” To be honest I didn’t notice much of anything on the way home.

Fumie pouted. “Maki-sama, you should be more aware of your surroundings! Sometimes I really worry about you. After all, like Sebastian, I’ve sworn to dedicate my life to serve you!”

Maki had no idea who ‘Sebastian’ was, and frankly she didn’t care, but she figured they came from one of Fumie’s favorite anime shows. The weary vampire grabbed one of the bigger containers of blood from the top fridge shelf before closing the door, and went over to the cabinet to get a suitable glass.

“So just what are you doing here anyway?” Maki questioned. After getting her glass, they made their way to the sitting area down the hall. “Wasn’t your mother supposed to stop by tomorrow? Or was it your dad?”

“Oh, my mom was going to do it,” Fumie replied happily as she followed behind Maki. “But you know, today I watched a new episode of this sports anime, where everyone needed to put in their all at the last minute for a dire event! The speech by the main character and the effort the team put towards their goal was sooooo moving! It got me super pumped! I just couldn’t sit around and do nothing, so I thought ‘Why not get a head start on the family duties?’.

“And your parents were okay with that?” Maki turned towards Fumie, skepticism clearly displayed on her face. “Don’t you have school tomorrow?”

“Details, details,” Fumie waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Don’t worry about me, Maki-sama. I just want to do my best for you and your family! After all, I am simply one hell of a servant!”

Fumie winked. Fumie Nishimura didn’t just call herself Maki’s servant; she _really_ was her servant, descending from a long line of servants to the Nishikinos. To make the dynamic more interesting (if anyone could call it that), Fumie and her family were just ordinary humans. Although beings of the supernatural liked to conceal themselves from mortals as much as possible, especially vampires, it’s not uncommon for them to associate themselves with humans who were willing to keep their secrets, and protect the supernatural community they consider friends.

The Nishimura family were apart of such a group of humans, whose ties with the Nishikinos stretched back decades. The relationship had been built upon mutual trust and friendship, and the strengths they carried as humans were extraordinary in their continuous assistance. Although now that Fumie joined in on the responsibilities of her family, she personally appointed herself as Maki’s personal servant -- a position Maki herself held with some ambivalence.

Unphased by her wink, Maki turned her head. Upon reaching the sitting area, a small cozy space with a long couch and a couple of chairs situated around a coffee table, Maki put the container and glass down and sat on one of the leather seats. She leaned forward to pour herself some blood, but Fumie beat her to the container.

“Please,” she said as she let the viscous liquid fill the glass gently. “Allow me!”

“I can pour my own glass, you know,” Maki stated, but it seemed like the excitable girl paid no attention and went on pouring the blood until the glass was sufficiently full.

“So, how is your night, Maki-sama?” Fumie asked eagerly as she sat down on the adjacent couch. “You look kinda exhausted.”

“Don’t get me started,” Maki grumbled, taking a sip of blood. The thick liquid slid down her throat with a refreshing sensation. She didn’t want to admit it back at the burger place, but she had felt a bit parched. “It was eventful to say the least.”

“Oh?” Fumie questioned. “Well I hope tonight’s batch I gathered will release your exhaustion then. I made sure to gather as much virgin blood as possible for you to enjoy!”

Maki stopped drinking abruptly. “No, not you too,” she groaned, planting her palm to her face in disbelief. “Fumie, why did you gather _virgin_ blood?”

“Huh?” The young servant looked bewildered at her master’s reaction. “Don’t vampires prefer the blood of virgins?”

“We do not,” Maki flat-out denied. “And I really wish that stupid misconception would just die already. How did you even manage to know if its virgin blood anyway?”

“Ah, hehe, the suppliers called it a ‘trade secret’.”

Maki simply sighed. “I don’t even want to know. Look, as long as it's not tainted, any blood, virgin or not, is fine.”

“Duly noted!” Fumie said as she pulled at a small notebook and a pen. Maki eyed her servant as she jotted down the latest factoid. “I guess that makes blood gathering duties a whole lot easier than I thought.”

For all the strengths and abilities vampires possessed, their weaknesses (mainly sunlight) hampered them in many ways. This fact made blood gathering for the Nishikino hospital somewhat limited at times -- a situation that didn’t bode well for its position as one of the prime, safe sources for blood. And as effective as they were within the hospital, the Nishikinos alone couldn’t sustain the small, but dependent vampire population in the area who committed themselves to nonviolent feeding. That's where the humans -- such as the Nishimuras -- came in.

Those privy to the supernatural made perfect low-risk agents, going from hospital to hospital to conduct secret trades for blood to bring back for distribution. And while less-conspicuous mythical beings could carry out the job as well, who could better conceal themselves against a human, than another human? While the effort of these ‘Blood Runners’ seemed small, it went a long way to, more or less, keep the blood flowing. Of course, several have voiced their opposition to working with humans and trusting them with their secrecy, but the Nishimuras have proven their years of excellent service.

At least, Maki hoped the newest in line could continue such a record.

“Say,” Maki spoke after a while. “Shouldn’t you be going home now? Don’t humans need a lot of sleep?”

Fumie pondered this for a moment. “Hmm. I guess so. But I can always catch up on sleep in class!" _I don't think that's how it works,_ Maki thought. "Besides, Maki-sama, I’m sworn to carry your burdens. And you look very exhausted right now! What happened at the hospital?”

“It’s nothing really,” Maki dismissed. “I just had a run-in with a very... irritable patient.”

“Irritable patient?” Fumie perked up in interest. “Do tell!”

Maki hesitated to say anything, but decided to entertain her with an abridged version of the night’s events. From the ‘surprise attack’ to the conversation between her and that Nico girl, Maki wasted no words while she delivered the key details as Fumie listened intently, giving large gasps during certain parts, and even becoming quite offended to hear that someone denied the existence of Santa Claus.

“No way!” She cried in outrage. “She must have gotten a lot of coal to be that bitter.”

“That’s what I was thinking as well!” Maki nodded in agreement. “There’s no other explanation!” She glanced over at the shelf, and at the treasured picture of her and Santa during last year’s Christmas party. Maki held no reservations earlier in denying her own existence, but denying the father of Christmas spirit crossed the line.

“It's a good thing that 'hunter' was no Joestar, though,” Fumie sighed in relief. She leaned back in her seat, relaxing a bit on the plush surface. “Hopefully that’s the last you see of her. Otherwise, you can call on me to show her a thing or two,” she said, making Rocky-like punches in the air. “Too bad you don’t have a Command Seal to instantly summon me when that happens.”

“Command Seal?” Maki pondered aloud. She watched Fumie continue to throw punches, a highly determined look on her face, almost like she wanted to take on the world. “While I appreciate it, I think I can take care of myself.”

“Eh?” Fumie’s battle with the air ceased and she frowned in disappointment. “But you’re the heir of the Nishikino hospital! I need to ensure nothing bad happens to you!”

“You’re my servant, not my bodyguard,” Maki replied, taking another sip of blood. She wanted to steer the topic away from the hospital as much as possible. Tonight’s rukus had been stressful enough. Being reminded of the eventuality of inheritance didn’t need to add to it. “Anyway, you should be getting home now. Your parents will be worried.”

“Oh, alright,” Fumie grumbled. She slowly rose from her seat, before her face turned into one of panic. “Uwah!”

“Huh? What is it?” Maki asked, looking around on guard.

“I forgot I had an assignment due tomorrow!” The servant laughed nervously. “I better get going then!”

“Geez, I thought I told you not to make sudden noises like that,” Maki chided. She got up and walked with Fumie to the front door to see her out. “Anyway, thanks for doing an early delivery. Just... turn on the lights next time you come in, okay? Or at least let me know if you’re coming by.”

Fumie gave a thumbs up in response. “Will do! I’m always glad to help out Maki-sama!” She opened the door, walking a few steps before turning around one last time to wave enthusiastically. Once Fumie mounted her bike and rode away, Maki closed the door, leaving her alone in the empty household.

After returning to the sitting area to retrieve her glass, Maki finished the remaining blood and walked to the kitchen to drop it off in the sink. She wondered what to do for the rest of the night. The vampire considered for a minute if she should call Rin, only to remember she had school tomorrow as well. Her late-night call would definitely not help that cheerful nekomata, since she was falling behind in class. In fact, she and Fumie attended the same school, and she wasn’t surprised if those two were sitting at the bottom of their respective years. Hanayo probably wasn’t available, considering the little fairy liked to rise early in the morning.

Left alone, Maki decided to head up her to room and finish one of the books she started the previous week. Some fantasy fiction work involving people and creatures from a different time, far back before she was even born. The story wasn’t anything original: It revolved around a feared creature and a young maiden who became friends. The creature had disguised itself as a human, and could never reveal their true form in fear that the human would reject them as a monster. Although she didn’t get too far, Maki couldn’t understand why the creature in the book would want to befriend someone who’d easily shun them. It perplexed her to no end that the creature tried desperately to maintain this friendship with the human being. On the other hand, it was because of this that she wanted to continue reading. Perhaps the answer would reveal itself in the next few chapters.

Entering her room, Maki made her way to the chair by the window, and picked up the book from the table beside it. Just when she was about to pick up where she left off, she suddenly had an inkling that someone tried to call out to her. She strained her ear to listen for her mother, father, or even Fumie, but nothing followed. Shrugging to herself, Maki dove into the words of her book, leaving behind the calamity of the night’s events and the faint feeling that somehow, things weren’t over just yet.

 

* * *

 

“DAMN YOU! STUPID STUPID STUPID!”

If Nico wasn’t yelling into her heart shaped pillow, half the block would have probably awoken from such a terrible outburst. Of course, she couldn’t wake up her siblings, so the hunter did the best to let out her anger as _quietly_ as possible. When she finished, she sat up, hugging the pillow tightly. She tried to get some sleep after coming home, but it was no use. That girl from early really had some nerve, with that smug air of hers hanging about, calling Nico a child when she in reality believed in Santa of all things.

“How rich,” Nico huffed in amusement. “I bet she believes in aliens, too.”

The humorous thought didn’t last long, and she returned to scowling in the darkness of her room. Calling her a child was one thing, but insulting her credibility as a hunter just went too far. What did that girl know? She knew nothing about the occupation. NOTHING. Even if Nico herself hadn’t achieved her big catch just yet, at least she did her best to protect the community.

_Which was more than that girl could ever be doing._

Looking up, Nico gazed at the medium sized bulletin board across the room. Pictures, maps, and little notes were tacked on in a messy, but purposeful collection. This board served as a record of her past hunts, but seeing it now, she couldn't help but look at it as a monument of her failures. Below the anger she harbored, the sinking feeling of defeat made it's way to her stomach. How could she rival the elite hunters on L.O.V.E. L.I.V.E. if she didn't produce results of her own? Her search for a kappa by the riverbank, to something more obscure like a wererat in a gutter, all ended with nothing to add to her name. Even the attempt to see a tengu storming through the skies proved fruitless- 

_Skies._

Nico's eyes widened a bit, a sudden realization dawning on her. She sat up and approached her closet. Rummaging through her stuff, she pulled out an ordinary, white box that hadn't been opened in quite awhile. She lifted the lid and tossed it aside, eager to shift through it's contents. Among all the leads to various cases she followed in the past, the items contained within documented her search for the most dangerous game.

“Minalinsky,” Nico said quietly, and tightened her fist with new found resolve. Tomorrow she would return to the greatest quest of her life -- the one that would give her the recognition and respect she deserved.

“Just you wait,” she spat, thinking of the girl from earlier. Her anger began to give way to excitement, a flame igniting in her heart. “I’ll make you regret what you said. And you’ll be praising Nico-Nii before you know it!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks! Sorry for the lack of an update. Been busy with a lot of things lately, so I hope you all enjoy this chapter and what's to come!


	4. Nico Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding herself motivated, Nico tries going all out on her hunt for Minalinksy, even as she faces stiff opposition to her ambitious goals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers. I know it's been months since the last chapter was posted. A ton of stuff got in the way, but now, here is the next chapter, and you won't have to wait long for the next one either. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Chaos. No one could tell, and they wouldn’t realize it when they saw it, but Otonokizaka had been thrust into the beginning stages of chaos. Just moments after lunch period began, the students noticed an odd series of fliers posted up around campus. Not just a couple plastered up here and there but literally rows and rows of them across the halls like some kind of amatuer art gallery. Some students filtered it out, while others gave into curiosity and took a closer look at what the repeating pieces of paper had to say.

The first thing they noticed was its chromatic composition: a menacing, shadowy figure with great wings prominently in the background, looking ready to attack the small city drawn below it. But standing in the forefront was a dignified, little caricature of a girl with black twintails, her winking face fearless against the apparent danger from behind. She stood atop a big slogan that read ‘ **The Hunt for Minalinsky is NOW! Please Support Us!’.** Below that featured a room number for a particular club and the request for new members. Already people stopped taking the posters seriously there once they realized who could be behind something so laughably ridiculous.

Like the skepticism of the masses ever stopped Nico.

When the president of the Vampire and Other Manner of Supernatural Creatures Research club decided that the fliers she put up weren’t enough, she took the fight to the front herself by handing them out in the school courtyard under the shade of a large tree. What better way to raise awareness than to literally shove it in people's faces.

“The winged terror, Minalinsky, is on the loose!” She hollered to the passing students, waving the flier around as if she were announcing the end of days. “New sign-ups for the Vampire-Supernatural Research Club are welcome! Please support our hunt for this fearsome creature!”

The students passed by her without a glance, going about their business like she was invisible. Still, that alone wouldn't discourage her. In a world populated by ignorance, there always stood at least _one_ gem in the rough -- someone who'd listen to reason and be willing to stand up for justice. Heck, they might just be indecisive about taking on the hunt, but Nico-Nii knew how to persuade them. They just needed a little push, that’s all.

Scanning the girls around her, Nico locked on to the sight of two first years talking to each other. The one with short, messy brown hair looked like the type that enjoyed action. The life of a hunter was full of it! Set on her potential recruit, Nico approached her emphatically.

“You there!” She called out to the lower classman. The conversation with her friend ceased as they looked at Nico. “What's your name?”

“Me?” The girl pointed at herself slightly confused, to which Nico nodded silently. “It's Fuu Saiki.”

“Well Fuu-chan,” Nico went on, unafraid of going on a first name basis. “You wanna fight?”

“What!?” Fuu's confusion turned into full on dismay. “You wanna fight _me_!?”

“ _No,_ ” Nico emphasized, slightly irritated. “What I mean is, do you want to fight the good fight?”

“‘The good fight’?”

“Yes. The good fight!" Nico put her flier in front of the first year's face. “There's a dangerous creature stalking the skies of Akihabara. How would you like to join my club as we go on a valiant quest to hunt this being down?"

"Eh?" Fuu's companion, a girl with equally short but more neatly kept orange hair butted in. "This looks really lame, nya."

The blunt first year almost regretted what she said, and winced as Nico glanced at her with a contemptuous glare. " _What_ are you calling lame?"

“Heh,” Fuu chuckled a bit at the reaction, then raise a hand to decline her upperclassman’s invitation. “I’m sorry, but we’re already apart of the track club so we can’t join. We wish you good luck, though!”

“Come on, Fuu-chan,” her friend signaled to her. “Kayo-chin's waiting for us!”

Nico’s face fell slightly in disappointment as the two first years walked off, mumbling to themselves -- no doubt about how weird they thought she was. But no matter. There were plenty more fish in the sea. She resumed her activities, waving around the fliers in the air with fervor. Her next potential member would come to her soon; she could feel it. They might just be around the corner-

“YAZAWA!!”

...Like right now.

The ear-splitting yell made Nico’s body freeze on the spot, and it took a couple seconds to turn her head stiffly to find the source not too far away. A girl just a few centimeters shorter than Nico stood there with her arms crossed, her face full of fury. Flanking her were two other girls much taller; one looked gruff and intimidating, and the other looked more serene and friendly in comparison. The one thing that tied the mismatch trio together was the red, yellow rimmed armbands they wore -- the unmistakable badge of the disciplinary committee.

“M-M-Mikoto-chan...” Nico sputtered. “What a surprise to see you!”

“It’s _Fukuhara_ to you,” the first-year leader of the disciplinary committee declared, her anger seeming to build ever so slightly. “First of all, care to explain what  _THIS_ is!?”

Following up, Mikoto produced a copy of Nico’s flier, and Nico twitched in fright. “W-what’s wrong? That’s just something I made for my Research club. It’s not breaking the rules or any-”

Mikoto’s angry stare intensified and Nico let out a squeak of panic. “Don’t play dumb! While it’s true clubs are allowed to advertise themselves on campus, _decorating_ the campus with your advertisements is certainly breaking more rules than one! More than I count with both hands alone!”

“A-and those would be...?”

“Let's see... defacing of property, lack of permission from the student council....” She went on as Nico droned out the walking rule-book’s chatter. True, she went overboard with her recruitment campaign for the hunt of Minalinsky, but she didn’t have any other choice. Unlike the more well-off hunter groups and pairs like Midnight Cats, she possessed no other means to advertise herself. More importantly, if she was really going to pursue such an illusive being, she needed a lot more lackies at her back to help out. She and Honoka (if she would actively partake in the hunt that is) couldn’t do it alone.

“...and littering.” Mikoto finished.

“Hey!” Nico protested the last violation. “My fliers are not garbage!”

“Anyway,” Mikoto brushed her off. “You’re coming with us! After you take down those nonsensical fliers, we’re bringing you in to enact some serious punishment. Do I make myself clear?”

Despite the threat, Nico stood her ground. “N-no way! I didn’t do anything that severe in the first place!” She would never be subjected to the harsh, unmerciful gulag this little imp had waiting for her. Well, it wasn’t as terrible as she made it sound, but they wouldn’t take this hunter without a fight!

“Now look at this,” the girl on Mikoto’s right, Hitomi Shiga, interjected. She cracked her knuckles in a menacing manner, her striking gold eyes below her cap shooting daggers at Nico. “Someone is being a little _too_ rebellious for their own good. Looks like we’re gonna do this the hard way.”

“W-wait!” Mikoto reprimanded her fellow member, but it had little effect. “I said no fighting!”

Nico felt her body tremble as Hitomi took a step forward. There was a reason why everyone called her ‘Boss’ and why they never wanted to get on her bad side. It wasn’t enough to just call her scary when she thought the rules were being broken.

Just before some physical punishment could be delivered, the third discipline committee member, Chiduko Sakamaki, stepped in front of Nico, raising her arms up to shield the petite girl from Hitomi’s oncoming onslaught.

“Hitomi-san,” she said gently, unaffected by the escalating situation. “You shouldn’t go about these things with violence. Can’t you see what this is about? Nico-chan just wants attention. Isn’t that right?” Nico had been rendered speechless by the assumption as Chiduko turned to face her. “You should have just told me that you wanted some love.” At that moment, Chiduko bent down and gave Nico a tight embrace, smothering the third year with her large bosom. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to give you all the love you need~”

Such affection was lost on Nico as she struggled to breathe. Chiduko always had the most gentle approach to troublemakers compared to Hitomi, if not equally scary. Before the hunter could meet her untimely demise by breasts, a fourth voice entered the fray, and Nico finally found herself free from the love-crazy girl as she let go.

“What’s going on here?” The voice that spoke out sounded firm and resolute, like a cool wind that put out the verbal fire blazing in the courtyard. Everyone looked to see a tall girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail walk towards them. She scanned over them with icy blue eyes, waiting stoically for an answer. The disciplinary committee, especially Mikoto, straightened themselves before her.

“President Ayase! Yazawa here has been more than unwilling to comply with school conduct!”

Eli Ayase, president of the student council, put her hand on her hip and strided toward them. “While I appreciate your diligence, I’d expect the three of you to have a modicum of restraint. I’m especially referring to you, Hitomi.“

Unfurling her fists, Hitomi back away without a second thought of resistance. Being apart of student council affairs since her first year, Eli certainly built up a respected reputation. After addressing the disciplinary committee, Eli turned to Nico, staring down at her with a disappointed look. “Nico, please meet me in the student council office after school.”

“Wait a minute,” Mikoto interrupted. “Ayase-san, I believe we should be the ones taking care of this.”

“It’s alright Mikoto,” Eli assured her, holding a hand up. “This is something I want to discuss with her personally.”

 

* * *

 

When her last class ended, Nico made the monumental (at least in her eyes) effort of taking down her fliers across the campus. After a civil discussion with the Disciplinary Committee, Nico and Mikoto reached a compromise: Nico would be allowed to have one flier up on the main bulletin board which housed all the fliers that endorsed the school’s clubs as long as she took down the rest.

Even though Nico agreed to the the terms, the thought that her call to arms would be posted alongside such menial activities like the yearly bake sale, or the announcement of their school’s orchestra club advancing to regionals, really ticked her off! Who really needed to know these things! The baking club sucked anyway! People needed to know the truth, and more importantly, they needed to know about the ambition of Nico-Nii. Nico scowled as she recalled Mikoto’s triumphant face when they made the deal.

But Nico, ever so clever, left some fliers hanging in the toilet stalls where they couldn’t be avoided.

 _Checkmate,_ she smirked, approaching the student council room.

As she entered, she expected to see Eli sitting behind the front table with a glare of disapproval. She had already prepared a speech in her defense, complete with sparkling innocent expressions that would melt her heart, in order to win approval for her club. (Nevermind that she had known Eli for the past two years now, making the president immune to her charms.) However, when she stepped into the room and looked around, she was surprised to find it empty.

“Huh,” Nico mumbled, glancing around. “Guess no one’s here. Well! I’ll just be on my way~”

“Hey!” A voice suddenly rang just behind Nico, causing her to jolt in fright. “How can you just ignore someone like that. That’s rude ya know~”

Recognizing the voice, Nico spun around to chide her. “What the hell, Nozomi! Where did you come from?!”

Nozomi Tojo playfully tilted head and put a finger to her chin to feign confusion. “What do you mean, Nicocchi? I’ve always been here.”

Nico raised an eyebrow in disbelief at the Student Council Vice President. “Uh huh. Sure.” She made her way to one of the tables and plopped down on its surface. “Where were you earlier? I didn’t see you when Eli stopped Hitomi from beating me up.”

“Oh, I just had some business to take care of,” Nozomi responded. She began to gather the loose papers strewn across the tables, then brought it to the front of the room to organize them into neat piles for Eli to collect later. “Why does it seem like Hitomi is always trying to beat you up? I’m starting to think you just like toying with the disciplinary committee.”

“Pfft, please.” Nico whipped her head back, her twin tails swinging her for a brief moment. “I have better things to do than play games with that small league committee.”

“Hmm? I take that to mean that you like playing with Elicchi and I a lot more~”

“Actually,” Nico said, brushing off Nozomi’s playful remark. “Where _is_ Eli? Isn’t she supposed to reprimand me or something?”

“She’ll be here in a moment,” Nozomi replied. She took her usual seat at the head of the room, brushing her long, amethyst twin tails behind her. “She’s having a talk with Principle Minami.”

Nico quivered, slowly turning away from Nozomi’s gaze. “D-don’t tell me she’s talking about me?”

“Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t~! Suspenseful, no? In any case, I'm gonna make sure you stay put until Elicchi comes.”

“What are you talking about?” Nico asked, followed by a rather contrived laugh. “I wasn't going to leave! I swear!”

Nozomi proceeded to give her a rather wicked grin. “You're a terrible liar, Nicocchi.” The aspiring hunter didn't rebuke her, for fear that the vice president would go on to do something more... physical. As crazy as it sounded, Chiduko’s death dealing hugs looked more appealing than Nozomi’s favorite form of punishment.

After a few seconds of silence from Nico, she continued speaking. “Say, Niccochi. You haven't been searching for this Minalinsky in a long time, so I'm surprised to see all those posters around the school.”

At this Nico couldn't help but crack a smile. “Pretty impressive, huh? I drew them myself and made copies, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Honoka and Kotori helped me put them up during first period.”

“Oh really?” Nozomi asked, feigning surprise. “Is that what you were doing _after_ you asked the teacher to go to the nurse’s office?”

“Of course,” Nico stated unapologetically. “I needed to put some up there, too.”

Nozomi didn't hold back a chuckle. “Geez, Nicocchi. You sure haven't changed. Just don’t let Elicchi hear that.” A second passed until a detail in Nico’s accomplishment crossed her mind, causing the vice president to double back. “Wait, you mentioned Kotori-chan helped you out?”

“She sure did! She looked pretty hesitant at first, but I was able to convince her with my Nico-Nico charisma~”

“Charisma, sure....” Nozomi trailed off. Nico expected her to continue with another snappy comment, but only silence filled the air as Nozomi gazed out the window with a ponderous look on her face. She always had that mysterious side to her but the silence started making Nico unnerved after it went on longer than she liked.

“Uh, Earth to Nozomi,” Nico signaled to her friend. “Everything good up there?”

This was enough to break Nozomi from her thoughts, and she tore herself away from the window. “Ah, nothing to worry about! It’s just... I’m curious to know why you’re going after Minalinsky again. I thought you stopped that already.”

“Who said I abandoned the hunt for good?” Nico’s tone grew a little peeved. To suggest something like that was preposterous! She hadn’t been on top of it for awhile, true enough, but Minalinsky served as the Moby Dick to her Captain Ahab. No way she would let the illusive creature get comfortable for too long. There might have been a pause but the journey to that revered goal could only end with coming face to face with Minalinsky.

“I’m just getting back into the swing of things!” Nico announced, raising her hands in the air for emphasis. “You know this is one of my biggest hunts in my esteemed occupation!”

“I admire your excitement, Nicocchi. But....” A slight hint of hesitation crept into Nozomi’s voice. “Isn’t there... some other creature that you’d want to look for instead?”

“What do you think I’ve been doing these past months?” The petite girl gave Nozomi a look that implied she asked something stupid. “All those cases were complete trash, and I can’t think of any other hunt more grand than Minalinsky.”

“What about the Mothman you were after in our first year?” Nozomi suggested. “He could be pretty neat to look for.”

“Pfft. Please,” Nico rebuffed. “That was confirmed fake, remember? It was just a kite stuck on a building.” _I can’t believed I climbed up there,_ Nico thought.

“Then what about the lizard man?”

“Doesn’t exist either.”

“Hm.... Then what about that one creature you told me about before. The Beast?”

Nico’s eyes narrowed. “Do NOT mention the Beast ever again.”

“Okay, okay,” Nozomi said to calm her down. “I’m just saying. It would be easier to find if you did more naughty things around campus~”

“Stop it. I just need to look at you, and already I have the closest thing to the actual Beast.”

Nozomi merely giggled at the suggestion but followed it up with something a little more serious. “You realize that Elicchi doesn’t like this one bit, given how you’re already causing an upheaval in school again. What got you so fired up, Nicocchi?”

This time, Nico didn’t start off with her usual flashy rhetoric; no bold, inspiring story that backed her motivations. All that came out of her mouth was: “It’s... nothing.”

“Nothing?” Nozomi leaned in from her seat, flexing her fingers at Nico with that sly grin of hers. “Don’t go on lying to me.”

Nico squeaked, finding herself easily persuaded. “Alright, alright!” She gave herself a moment to pause, her eyes glancing away from Nozomi as she reluctantly began to talk. “So the other night I was trying to find a vampire....”

“A vampire?” Nozomi had her interest piqued. “Go on.”

“Instead... I found something much worst.”

“The Beast?”

Nico gritted her teeth. “I said shut up about that. Look, I was doing some reconnaissance at this hospital, and this one girl shows up and ruins my moment! I was so ready to take down that vampire and I could have done it too if she didn't butt in my business!”

“So...there was an actual vampire?” Nozomi asked, clearly amused by Nico’s story.

“I didn't stick around long enough to find out!” Nico spat. “The girl nearly turned me into security! And she even broke some important equipment of mine! Ya know how much it’s going to cost to replace it? It’s not cheap!”

Nozomi got up from her seat and walked toward Nico. When she had made it across the room, she stared at Nico for a moment, then reached into her pocket to hand the disgruntled hunter a thousand yen. “Here. To replace your equipment.”

“Don’t belittle me.” Nico scoffed, turning her head from the twin tailed mischief maker, only to do a double take and snatch the bill from Nozomi’s hands. “On second thought, don’t you owe me lunch? I’ll consider this as your debt paid in full. Where was I? Oh yeah. So I made that red-head buy _me_ food afterward. At first she was nice -- she kinda apologized and she didn’t throw a fit about the food. But then she turned totally rude on me when she found out I was a vampire hunter! She said things like vampires and other creatures don’t exist and she called what I was doing a ' _game’_.” Nico pouted and pounded a fist on the table. “But get this! Even though she said all that, she tells me she believes in Santa Claus! Santa! Who’s the _real_ child?!”

“Santa?” Nozomi repeated slowly.

“Precisely.” A hint of venom could be heard in Nico’s words. “Who does she think she is? It’s non-believers like her that make my blood boil.” Nico chewed on the inside of her cheek, lost in annoyance. “Speaking of non-believers, isn’t Eli taking too long? If she doesn’t show up in the next minute I’m going home.”

“I don’t think so.”

Nico swiveled in place to see Eli herself standing at the door, as if appearing out of thin air. She sent a glance towards the short girl, a look equivalent to a mother disappointed in her troublesome child.

“Jeez!” Nico grumbled. “What is with you two showing up out of nowhere. I swear you guys are like spirits or something.”

Nozomi chucked at her comment. “If we were spirits, we’d only haunt you, Nico~”

“Thanks but no thanks.”

“Oh~ But I thought you wanted to see supernatural creatures?”

“Not if they’re like you!”

“Anyway,” Eli interjected. “Nico we seriously have to talk about what you’ve been doing.”

“Don’t tell me you and Principle Minami want to drive me out of school. Is this some sort of witch hunt?”

“Funny you mention a witch hunt,” Eli said, irritation edging her voice. “Because that’s the exact reason we’re here right now.”

“So it _is_ a witch hunt!” Nico exclaimed, ready to put on her defense. “Well you’ll never take me alive! And even if you do, Honoka’s gonna take my place! I’ve already been training her since last year to take down anyone who dares get in the way of our righteous goals!” Of course, this was all bullshit, but Eli didn’t need to know that.

“Will you calm down,” Eli asked peeved. “No one wants you dead. I’m talking about this.” She produced one of Nico’s posters from a bag and unfurled it onto the table Nico was sat on. “Can you please explain this?”

Nico slammed her hand down on the table. “My greatest hunt of course,” she declared with a purpose. “It’s my miraculous time!

“Please take this seriously.” The tone of Eli’s voice grew more exasperated. “You are disrupting the student body with your antics. This is really starting to look like a repeat of our first year.”

“What do you mean exactly?”

“Oh, you don’t remember? Let me remind you.” Grabbing an ordinary manila envelope, Eli sifted through the various items within and pulled out a small picture to present to Nico. From an aerial view taken from the school rooftop, the photo revealed the baseball field which had been defaced by a cutesy-looking face of Nico, and the words “ **I’M COMING FOR YOU** ” displayed intimidatingly underneath.

“Ah, you mean that masterpiece?” Nico beamed at her handiwork. Such a frightening call-out would have certainly caught anyone’s attention. “I’m honored you even have a record of it~”

“That’s not the point.”

“It is nicely drawn though,” Nozomi added, suddenly appearing at Nico’s side.       

“The things you’ve been doing to hunt for this ‘Minalinsky’ always throws the school into chaos. And don’t think that’s the only time we remember,” Eli said, putting away the photo. She took out several more to prove her point and fanned them out for Nico to see all at once. “We have the incident where you stole the volleyball nets.”

“Totally justified,” Nico huffed. “And they weren’t stolen. They were borrowed.”

“The time you stayed over night on the roof, watching the sky with the expensive telescope from the astronomy club--”

“Also borrowed.”

“Which you almost _broke_. And let's not forget the time you did something to the toilets on the second floor bathroom in the eastern building, causing them all to overflow.”

“Hey! First of all, that wasn’t me. It was the toilet ghost. Secondly, that has nothing to do with Minalinsky.” Nico crossed her arms and pouted, mumbling: “What’s with all of you trying to bring me down.”

Eli sighed. “I just want to know why, Nico,” she asked earnestly. “I thought you gave up on this a long time ago. Didn’t you already come to your senses and realize this creature doesn’t exist? After what happened, I think you of all people should know where a wild goose chase like this leads you.”

Nico averted her eyes, and remained silent. Nozomi sensed that Eli had touched a sensitive topic, and decided to step in from the sidelines. However, before she could say anything, Nico beat her to it.

“It’s different this time.” Unlike the bombastic delivery very characteristic of Nico, she said these words calmly, backed with a sense of resolution. “I don’t care if you and everyone else don’t want to believe. It only takes one person to discover something great. Then the whole world changes.” Nico hopped off the table, stood firm before the student council members and put a hand to her flat chest. “I’m not gonna make the same mistakes as before. You’re gonna see a resurgence! Just you wait!”

Nozomi clapped her hands, impressed by Nico’s speech. Eli on the other hand, wasn't. She frowned, ambivalent toward Nico’s feelings and her duties toward the student body. But in the end, even if she pitied Nico, the wellbeing of the students as a whole was what mattered most to Eli.

“Nico,” she began. “I don't want to be the villain here --”

“So we'll let you keep your club.”

“Nozomi!” Eli protested. Nozomi glanced at her and gave a reassuring smile, causing her to remain silent with a worried expression.

“Really?” Nico asked eagerly, eyes widening in surprise. “Thanks Nozomi! I always liked you the bes-”

“But don’t think we’ll let you off the hook that easy,” she continued sharply, edging closer towards Nico’s face. “We’re still ironing out the wrinkles, but at the end of the week we are going to make a proposal that you can’t -- and I mean _seriously_ can’t -- refuse. In the meantime, you still have to follow our rules. First: no sneaking into campus and stealing and/or defacing property.”

“Got it,” Nico conceded easily enough. _Guess I have to cancel my plan to borrow the leaf blower after school, but whatever._

“Second of all, don't do anything dumb that will hurt anyone _or_ the school's reputation.”

“Of course. If anything, I'll make it greater!” Eli shot Nico a piercing look. “OK, OK, I understand.”

“And finally,” Nozomi concluded. “Take down the rest of those posters. I know you have some in the bathrooms.”

Nico gave a bitter chuckle. “Well now I know where you were before you came here.”

“A certain toilet ghost told me about it.”

“Please don't mock me.”

“Does that sound alright to you, Elicchi?” Nozomi turned to her best friend who had remained quiet throughout the exchange. Nico saw Eli still had doubts about allowing her to continue this grand hunt, but she hoped Eli (just like the countless times before) would give in to the mysterious hold Nozomi had on her. It felt like an eternity for a decision to be made, and Nico’s heart beat a little bit faster as she waited. She would never admit it though.

“Fine,” Eli finally spoke, but her next words were ones of caution. “But Nico, you better follow the rules or I can’t guarantee that your club will remain active.”

“Don't worry~” Nico said, skipping over to the door. “Nico-Nii never goes back on her word~!”

Before Eli could remind her of the time she ditched Nozomi and herself during campus clean up day after she promised to help, Nico was already swinging the door closed.

“Everything’s coming up Nico~!”

 

* * *

  

Eli and Nozomi could hear Nico’s shoes clacking on the floors of the empty hall, undoubtedly skipping happily to anywhere but the bathrooms.

“Nozomi,” Eli said, turning to her best friend. “Please remind Honoka to get those posters in the bathroom.”

“Will do!” The vice president sang, bringing out her phone to message Honoka, already hearing her whiny voice questioning why she had to do it. Nozomi even made sure to have Honoka give her regards to Yuki for her help in the matter as well.

Eli circled to her seat at the front table and sat down, exhausted from the day’s activities. She grabbed the papers Nozomi had neatly arranged earlier, thankful that it was one less thing she had to worry about. “So what is this _grand_ proposal you brought up earlier?”

“I... actually don’t have one,” Nozomi admitted.

“ _What_?”

“But we still have four days to work it out!” She said optimistically as Eli shook her head.

“I honestly have a bad feeling about all this,” Eli said wearily. “You’re always so soft on Nico.”

“Elicchi,” Nozomi chided playfully. “It’s not like Nicocchi is really out for blood. She only does that to look tough. She wouldn’t harm anyone on purpose.”

“But she could still harm someone by accident. Don’t you remember what happened when she showed Kikkawa-san a picture of the full moon?"

“It was just a picture,” Nozomi shrugged.

“Yeah, but she panicked! Not only did she run into a wall, but she was close to giving away her true nature! And even then, we can’t afford to have the whole school fall apart,” Eli pointed out. “As much as I don’t like to admit it, Nico isn’t playing some game. You might not think it's a big deal, but you have to consider Kotori’s feelings too. It’s our duty to make sure all the S-Rank students feel safe. This is is suppose to be a haven for them.”

“I know....” Nozomi trailed off, walking to the front table. “But this is our last year after all. It would be nice if Nicocchi could be happy again like in our first year. We weren’t always there for her, you know. It’s not just the S-Ranks we need to take care of -- it’s everyone. If they’re our responsibility, then that includes Nico as well.”

Eli sighed, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. She couldn’t fight Nozomi on that one. “Even so, if we’re going to come up with an actual protection plan, maybe we should get some more help with Nico,” Eli mused. “Honoka isn’t enough. Not with the way Nico is acting now.”

“Honoka isn’t enough...” Nozomi trailed off, falling silent as she lost herself in deep thought. What did Nico really need? Somehow, she knew that simply finding Minalinsky wouldn’t solve what she truly desired. If she were able to seize that, then Nico’s grandiose act would die down. As for what that desire could be, Nozomi wasn’t entirely sure. Unless....

Spontaneously, Nozomi’s eyes widened as an idea blossomed in her mind. Something so earth shattering that it could very well burst out from her head. Whatever that could be, the stunning thought was given form in the shape of two brown, rounded ears popping from her head, twitching in anticipation. Eli was thankful no N-Rank students were present -- Nozomi always had trouble concealing her tanuki nature when she was very excited. And that usually wasn't a good sign.

"Oh no," Eli said shaking her head.

“I see it!” Nozomi proclaimed aloud, arms outstretched in the air as the window suddenly burst open. A large gust of wind blew into the room, scattering all the papers that were neatly organized not too long ago. “Elicchi, I know what we must do!”

As the papers all settled to the ground, Eli grumbled as she went to pick them up.

"I don't like where this is going....”


	5. Hunter Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maki is approached by Eli and Nozomi with a special request. Will the vampire reject it, or take a leap of faith?

Maki straightened the cushions on the couch out of nervous habit. When Mrs. Minami told her about a situation involving her daughter Kotori, Maki didn’t know what to think. Why her out of all people? The relationship (or lack thereof) with Kotori wasn’t something to boast about. True, their mothers were good friends, but that relationship didn’t repeat itself among their children. A shame, since both mothers initially tried to ensure that their daughters would become as close as they were. Maki recalled a handful of visits from the Minamis, and even visiting their home. Kotori always attempted to get her to open up, usually by speaking to her first and trying to hold conversation, even if those efforts weren’t always successful. The fault didn’t lie with Kotori of course, and Maki quietly appreciated her attempts to reach out.

Although this was a request from Mrs. Minami, she herself would not be coming this afternoon. Rather, her envoys from Otonokizaka would be stopping by. Maki was already familiar with one of them: Nozomi Tojo. Like with Kotori, Maki’s relationship with the elusive tanuki wasn't the kind one could call "close" by any means. If Maki could compare it graphically, she and Kotori were like classmates who only spoke during school hours. Maki and Nozomi, however were in two different schools completely. They first met at one of the Akihabara Supernatural Community Meetings held every month. Since Maki's parents had the hospital and the Tojo's had that shrine they tended to, they were members who would participate. However, Maki rarely tagged along with her parents, and if she ever did, she never bothered to mingle with anyone. The most she had ever spoke to Nozomi was probably to exchange shallow pleasantries. Other than that, nothing.

And it wasn't just Nozomi she felt nervous about. This friend of hers, too -- the student council president -- that Mrs. Minami said would also be coming. Other than that tidbit of info, Maki knew nothing about this other girl. Was she a human? Or was she supernatural too? Maki wondered if knowing would have helped her calm down. Somehow, she doubted it.

Although the blackout curtains blocked all the sunlight from leaking in and frying Maki and her family, she didn't have to look at the clock to tell that it was around five in the afternoon, since Fumie had arrived not long ago and had already started cleaning the house. That meant Nozomi and her friend would be arriving any moment now. Maki slowly let out a deep breath, hoping all her nerves would leave with it.

Just then the doorbell rang, causing her to straighten her back in surprise. "Coming~!" She heard Fumie sing as she walked through the hall. When Fumie reached the door, she heard a muffled exchange of conversation, then the door closing. Maki stood by the couch opposite from the door so she could greet them the moment they walked in.

“Maki-sama,” Fumie said, skipping in. “The guests, President Ayase and Vice President Tojo, are here!”

“Maki-sama?” Nozomi asked teasingly, poking out from behind the doorway. “Are you a princess?”

Maki closed her eyes in embarrassment. “Fumie, can you please not add ‘sama’ to my name when guests are here?”

“Oops!” Fumie giggled. “Sorry. Heh. Forgot! I’m going to go get some drinks.” She turned to Nozomi and President Ayase. “What would you two like? Sake for you, President Tojo? And how about vodka, for the president? Haha, just kidding! I’ll make some tea!” She gave Maki a wink and walked to the kitchen, thoroughly satisfied.

“Hehe,” Nozomi giggled. “I’m glad to see Fumie-chan is still as lively as ever.”

Maki did her best to quickly dispel her embarrassment, and Nozomi’s friend took the opportunity to introduce herself. “Thank you for having us, Nishikino-san. I’m Eli Ayase, president of Otonokizaka’s student council. A pleasure to meet you.”

Nozomi smiled at Eli’s gracious bow, and turned to Maki. “It’s nice to see you again, Maki-chan.”

“Yeah,” Maki replied a bit callously. She wasn’t used to personally hosting guests herself. “And it's nice to meet you too, Ayase-san.” The two guests sat down on the couch facing the opposite direction, and Maki waited a bit after they made themselves comfortable to take a seat and pose a question to Eli. “Say... I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you…?”

“Hm?” Eli asked as Maki seemed to pause. “I take it that you want to know if I'm human?” She saw her host nod her head, then continued with her answer. “Well, partly. Half human, half kitsune to be precise.”

 _A half-blood?_ Maki couldn’t help but be a little surprised. It was not like the union between a human and the supernatural was unheard of, but seeing their offspring was a rare occurrence, considering the compatibility issues for most species. Even at the hospital, where the potential complications that may arise from such a birth could require treatment, hardly any showed up for Maki to get a good look at. _Shows how much I haven’t seen yet_.

Nozomi must have seen the slightly puzzled look on Maki’s face because she quipped in. “Why don’t you show her your ears, Elicchi?”

“Eh?” Eli asked, alarmed at the suggestion. Her face turned a warm pink in embarrassment. “But… Well, I guess there’s no harm.”

Eli closed her eyes for a brief moment, then from her blonde hair, two long, angular fox ears of the same color flipped out into existence, showing how less than human the third year high schooler really was. But just as they appeared, Nozomi brought a hand behind one of them, rubbing them affectionately as Eli let out a surprised yelp.

“Aren’t they cute?” Nozomi cooed as she continued to rub the half kitsune’s sensitive ear.

“N-Nozomi!” Eli whimpered, her cheeks tinted red. “Don’t do that!”

Nozomi stuck out her tongue. “Sorry, Elicchi. Its rare for you to let your guard down after all. Plus I know you enjoy it, too~”

“Geez... Please stop it already.”

The tanuki withdrew her hand, leaving Eli to fix her composure as her ears retreated back into her head. “A-anyway, Nishikino-san, is that a sufficient answer to your question?” She said hoping to leave the minor scene behind her.

“Um... yeah, it is,” Maki replied a bit awkwardly. She started to feel like someone intruding on a date all of a sudden. Definitely not what she’d expected. “Thank you.”

“Could it be that you’re not comfortable around humans, Maki-chan?” Nozomi queried.

“Oh no,” Maki denied with a wave of her hand. “I don’t have any problem with them.” _If I can’t survive Fumie, I can’t survive humans in general._

“Then what we’ll discuss right now shouldn’t be too much of a problem!” Nozomi signaled for her friend to speak. “Ready, Elicchi?”

Eli nodded, then gave Maki a firm look. “Although Principal Minami might have briefly explained the current situation to you, I'd like to take the time now to explain to you in detail. I hope you don't mind.”

“Not at all,” Maki replied. “If anything, I’d like to get a clear picture of what’s happening. From what I heard so far, it has something to do with Kotori? It's nothing serious is it?”

“Well,” Eli continued. “No. At least, for now. However, it is crucial you understand what you’re getting into before you agree to what we are going to propose.”

Even though she barely began talking, Maki couldn't help but feel that Eli had something larger to bring forth than a simple request. “Alright, so what’s going on?”

“Now first, I’m sure you're familiar with our school, Otonokizaka?”

“I am,” Maki answered a matter of factly. _Who_ _in Akihabara hasn't heard of it anyway?_ Although she never set foot on the campus, she and almost everyone supernatural living in the area knew Otonokizaka: the go-to high school for those adventurous enough for a school life among humans. Compared to most other schools, where many trying to hide their mythical nature find themselves at risk, Otonokizaka from the ground up was design to accommodate them as best they could. This was thanks in part to the largely supernatural faculty that ensured their secrecy. Not to say no risks existed. The humans that attended made up a large percentage, and almost all of them were pretty oblivious to the fact that some of their classmates weren't who they appeared to be. But for anyone with a supernatural background, it was always reassuring that people like them had their backs.

Eli continued as Maki remained deep in thought. “Well, right now there's a student who has been causing a bit of trouble for our supernatural students. Their actions haven’t been very serious so far, but it’s still enough to elicit concern.”

“Huh?” _Was that it?_ For a matter that required the student council president and vice president to personally pay a visit to her home, this didn’t seem as pressing as she first thought. _Unless...._

“Wait a minute,” Maki said suddenly, standing up. “Is this about Fumie? Is that why you came to my house? I know she’s a little strange, but you don’t to have worry! She would never do anything to harm the school or its students! Especially Kotori!”

“Maki-sama!” Fumie yelled excitedly from the kitchen. “I’m so honored that you believe in me so much!”

“Shut up!” Maki yelled, immediately sitting down as Nozomi laughed at her small outburst. For a second there she almost felt like Fumie’s parent or something.

“Eh?” Eli looked puzzled. “This has nothing to do with Nishimura-san. This involves a completely different student.”

“O-oh,” Maki stuttered, twirling her hair. _That’s a relief, I guess._ “Well, I’m not sure how I’m able to help out with that. If they’re harassing Kotori, don’t you two have the power to punish them for their bad behavior?”

“I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that.” Here Eli paused, her face lacking any nonsense for her next delivery. “She's a hunter. And she’s targeting Kotori.”

Maki felt the familiar feeling of her body freezing up. A hunter, targeting Kotori? Of all people, why her? She never did anything violent in supernatural form, much more when she posed as a normal human! And even then she practically looked like an angel! Questions ran through her mind at top speed, ready to shoot out at the student council president.

“Wait. There's a _hunter_ at Otonokizaka? How did that happen? How do you know she’s a hunter? How did you let one into the school!?”

“Hold on, Nishikino-san,” Eli said calmly in the face of Maki’s increasingly frantic questioning. “I know this is sudden for you, but don’t get carried away--”

Before she could even finish, Fumie burst into the room, the tray of drinks rattling with an equally panicked expression on her face. “What!? A hunter!? Who is she!? Give me a name and justice will be served!”

“N-no, Nishimura-san,” Eli shot her down apprehensively. “That won’t be necessary.”

“No! I want to do it!”

“We don’t _need_ you to do it. Besides, direct intervention isn’t our intent here.”

“Okay, fine,” Fumie pouted. She sat the drinks down on the table and walked out the room half heartedly, being denied the prospect of fighting in the name of justice. “If you need me,” she trailed off, “I’ll be cleaning the garage...”

The three of them stayed silent until they were sure Fumie was out of earshot. “Now where was I....” Eli continued. “As dire as the situation is, it’s still at the point where it’s under our control.”

“What do you mean!?” Maki said incredulously. This was a hunter! One of the ultimate threats to supernatural society! No way would Mrs. Minami just sit on her hands and let one waltz around campus. “Why haven’t you done anything about it!?”

“Simply because we have no reason to,” Nozomi chimed in. “I know the idea of a hunter snooping around school grounds is scary, but this one isn't what I’d call the menacing type. In fact, she doesn't even know about Otonokizaka's supernatural ties at all. So she isn't there looking to have a field day with all of us. She can be pretty friendly once you get to know her.”

“But still….” Maki didn't look totally convinced. Instead, irritation began building up inside her. Weren't they being careless about Kotori’s safety? It didn’t matter what this person is like; their intentions were evidently clear. It didn't take her decades of medical studies to know that a wound left unattended only invited an infection. And unless they waited for it to turn fatal, it needed to be treated immediately.

“This may sound drastic, but can't you find a reason to expel this hunter if possible? Even if they aren't aware of the larger supernatural presence there, the fact that she's in close proximity to Kotori is dangerous! Plus she could discover the other students' secrets eventually--”

Before Maki could continue rambling with questions, Nozomi brought a finger up to silence the worried vampire and gave her a reassuring smile. “Maki-chan, you need to trust us. I didn’t take you for the panicking type. You always seem so calm and collected.”

A part of Maki wanted to rebuke her, but another part felt some shame at the last remark. Cracking like this didn’t befit the daughter of the Nishikinos. She immediately tried to release her tension and let Nozomi continue.

“Kotori is already in good hands as it is. Principal Minami and ourselves are always watching her -- ready to take the right measures to ensure her safety and that of our students."

“If that’s the case...” Maki began, still unsure if she should be totally at ease. “What do you possibly need me to do?”

“Well,” Eli spoke up, looking like she had been waiting for the right moment to interject. “If neither of you have anything else to add...?”

Maki turned away to hide her personal disgrace.

“Then I guess we can finally get down to the reason we are visiting you today,” Eli continued. “Nozomi is right: we have students who look out for her, and Principal Minami is also keeping a close eye on the situation. However, we can’t expect the students to commit their time to watching this hunter, and Principal has a lot more to deal with than some low leveled threat. That’s where you come in.”

Snapping out of her shame, Maki turned back to her guests. “I’m listening.”

“We need you to pose as an Otonokizaka student and monitor the hunter for us.”

Eli’s lines came out so serious and resolute, Maki needed a moment to figure out if she was joking. But as she waited for Eli to laugh it off as nonsense -- some trivial humor -- she noticed that neither Eli nor Nozomi cracked even a small smile. It was then she realized that their request was a hundred percent serious.

“W-what?” Maki shot up from her chair, almost falling in the process. “Wait a minute! No way I can do that!”

“Hold on, Maki-chan,” Nozomi said, trying to reign her in again. “Please hear us out.”

Maki inhaled and sat down, trying her best to hear them out completely. Even though the idea sounded absolutely insane, they did come all this way, so the least she could do would be to hear them then. Afterall, showing them out right here and now would not reflect well on her family. “I’m sorry. Please continue.”

“As I said, we need you to pretend to be an Otonokizaka student -- a member of the student council to be precise,” Eli continued. “Principal Minami thought you would be an ideal candidate, and your mother seemed to agree as well.

 _My mother?_ Maki was mentally taken aback. Half of her wanted to disbelieve, but the other half didn’t find it too surprising for her to agree. Her mother and Mrs. Minami were always eager to help out one another. A little _too_ eager.

“The plan is this: You just have to watch over the girl during school hours, making sure she doesn’t go out of line. If she does anything you consider a potential threat, you will report it to us, and we’ll deal with it accordingly.”

“Oh, so I’m supposed to be a babysitter?” Maki asked incredulously, eyebrow raised. “You _do_ realize who you’re asking, right? I mean, look at the mirror!”

Eli and Nozomi turned to the mirror positioned on the wall at the far end of the room.

“What do you mean?” Nozomi said, puzzled. “Obviously it’s only me and Elicchi in the mirror.”

“Exactly!” Maki exclaimed. “I’m a vampire! I don’t even know why Fumie put that mirror here in the first place! It puts our entire family at risk!” She walked over to the mirror and took it down. “But still. It proves my point! How can I parade around the school like a normal student if I can’t even step foot on campus during school hours?”

An absurd scene began to play inside Maki’s head: She saw herself skipping into a generic looking school campus in the morning daylight and saying hello to the passing students with a light wave. “Hello Maki-senpai!” They say as the rays of sunshine somehow made them sparkle like the characters she sees in the manga Fumie leaves lying around sometimes. “Good morning,” Maki replies. “Pleasant weather we’re having.” She stops and flashes a smile just a she begins to melt into sizzling puddles from the heat.

“No way!” She said, awaking from her dream. “It won’t work.”

Nozomi giggled. “Maki-chan, of course we understand you can’t go outside. We’ve made preparation regarding that.” She leaned over to her bag on the floor and took out a small device. “Here. This is for you.” As Nozomi placed it in her hands, Maki realized it was an earpiece and microphone. She then handed her a square chip which looked like a USB card.

“What’s all this for?” She asked, still holding out the things Nozomi gave her.

“That will allow you to keep track of the girl from home,” Eli took over. “Just install this device onto your computer and you will be able to track her around campus via a map and some cameras hidden around. Use the mic to convey any warnings to the girl should she get out of line. You can also switch the channel to speak to one of us.”

Maki just nodded along, not wanting to admit that she had no idea how half of this technological stuff worked.

“This way you never have to leave home and possibly expose yourself to danger,” Nozomi said with a smile. “But don't think you’ll be able to spy on the entire school. The cameras will only be activated if little miss hunter is within the proximity of one. If they were to say, wander off from class and into the gym, you can get a peek at what they're up to! Really simple, huh?”

Maki stared at the tiny mic, trying to wrap her head around this plan. The mic, the camera -- it all seemed like so much unnecessary work. “Why me?” She looking up at her visitors. “It seems like you’re putting in a lot of effort just to accommodate me.” She stayed silent for a moment for Nozomi or Eli to reply, but they said nothing. “What exactly are you planning?”

Rather than reply with words, Nozomi reached into her blazer and pulled out what appeared to be a card. With a flick of her wrist, she turned the card over and revealed a picture of a jolly looking man carrying a bag with a white dog at his feet. Although the man was looking toward the sky, dreaming of possibilities, he didn’t notice that he was walking toward the edge of a cliff.

“Am I supposed to know what this is?” Maki asked.

“It’s the Fool,” Nozomi replied a matter of factly. “A tarot card.”

“I’ll be the first one to defend the fact that magic and supernatural powers exist,” Maki began. “But I hope you’ll forgive me when I say you’ve got to be pulling my leg. I didn’t even know Tanuki read tarot cards.”

“Well, this one does,” Nozomi said playfully. “When read upright, the card signals the potential for new beginnings and adventure,” Nozomi continued, as if Maki had not doubted her. “It represents the need for you to set out towards an unknown journey, just like the man in the card.”

“Doesn’t look like a journey I’d want to take.” Maki remarked.

Nozomi chuckled in amusement before continuing. “It does look dangerous, right? But rather than danger, the cliff represents the inability to see what lies ahead. But even if you can’t determine where the path will take you, the Fool asks you to take a leap of faith in order to find success.”

She retracted that card and put it back into her blazer. “We need you to take that leap of faith, Maki. We need you to trust us.”

 _A leap of faith_ , Maki pondered in silence. _Sounds reckless and irresponsible._ In fact, this whole plan sounded reckless and irresponsible. Of course she wanted to help Kotori, but does keeping this hunter on limited surveillance really help anything at all? Even if both Mrs. Minami and her own mother thought so. Then again, should she go back on their trust...?

“We’ll just leave these here with you,” Eli said, standing up with Nozomi following suit. “Clearly this is a decision that needs to be thought over. However, we would like an answer on Wednesday -- two days from now. Please give us a call. Oh. And before I forget.” Maki stood up and watched Eli rummage through her school bag, wondering what she had for her this time. From within, Eli pulled out a clear plastic bag which housed clothes identical to what they were wearing. “Please take this.”

Maki accepted reluctantly. “What is this for?”

“Whenever you must video call the hunter, you’ll need this wear this to keep up the act.”

“An essential part of being a student -- fake or not -- is the uniform, after all,” Nozomi added with a wink.

Maki rolled her eyes at Nozomi’s comment and set the uniform on the coffee table. “Allow me to show you two out.”

She escorted the two to her front door, relieved that by now the sky had already turned dark. Without any fear she opened the door and stepped aside for them to head out. They both paused briefly, then turned around to say their goodbyes.

“Thank you for having us, Nishikino-san,” Eli said with a bow. “Again, please consider the offer.”

“We trust you to make the right decision,” Nozomi chimed in. “After all, both Principal Minami and your mother trust you too!” Although Nozomi looked cheerful and said such things casually, those last words hit Maki straight in the gut.

After the Otonokizaka girls made their last waves of goodbye and left, Maki shut the door and carried the items up to her room. No sooner after their departure, the vampire’s mind started to mull over the proposal. She was ready to say no -- after all, how could she not say no? It was a dumb idea to begin with!

Just as she thought that, a wave of guilt set in. Her mother, Mrs. Minami, and Kotori were all depending on her! But... surely Maki could come up with a better solution if they had just let her try. But maybe she was being stubborn. Maybe the best way to prove herself to her parents and the community was to take this job and do her best at it. They already believe in her. Right?

Maki let out a heavy sigh and opened the door to her room. Being indecisive wasn’t befitting of someone in line to take immense responsibility. She had to make a decision now. The most logical decision.

So why couldn’t she? Tired from her own thinking, she set down the security items and the uniform on her desk, then plopped onto her bed. Perhaps she could talk to Hanayo or Rin? _No -- bad idea. Hanayo would be too scared and Rin would be spouting nonsense._ And Fumie would be the last person she would consult. _She would probably have me wear one of those frilly ‘magical girl’ costumes and have me fight ‘in the name of the moon’ or whatever cringe worthy motto her favorite anime characters had._

Maki shook her head in frustration. Should she talk to her mom about this? _My mother... the reason I’m getting into this mess is all because of her._ Maki knew she shouldn’t be mad at her; after all she was only trying to help. But the fact she even suggested Maki put her on the spot and made it hard for her to say no. She appreciated that her mother had faith in her... but what if she couldn’t live up to those expectations? Even with the hunters threatening the supernatural world, her parents were always so composed in their duties, showing no fear or doubt in doing what was just. In that moment an idea began to form. Was she just terrified of the hunters that much? Was the idea of being too inane just an excuse to back out of this job?

Another new idea already seized her thoughts. For her entire life she always proved herself more than capable for anything her parents asked of her. If this task were to be rejected, what would they think? That she wasn’t capable? That those many years of study and preparations for the hospital’s inheritance were a waste on someone as afraid and indecisive as her? She was 150 years old! She should come to the decision herself.

In that case....

In that case....

_You need to take a leap of faith._

Nozomi’s words drifted back into Maki’s thoughts. Reverberating stronger and stronger until she reached an epiphany. Was that it? Maybe that’s what Mrs. Minami and her parents _wanted_ her to face: the difficult crossroad that proved to be the ultimate test of independence and responsibility. Sure, her imagination was running wild, but everything made _too_ much sense to dismiss. Kotori faced obvious danger, but they needed to test Maki’s resolve in coming to her aid. Eli and Nozomi were agents to administer this test of courage, and see if she was truly the one to save Kotori from the hunter menace.

“OH MY GOD,” Maki jolted from her bed, her purple eyes wide with this revelation.

Not even five seconds after her brief commotion, the door to her room suddenly burst open and Fumie looked around frantically. “M-Maki-sama! Are you alright!?”

“Fumie! Calm down!” _Like I’m the one to talk_. “I’m fine, I’m fine!”

“Then w-why did you scream just now? I thought that so-called ‘hunter’ girl appeared and decided to take revenge on you!”

“No no,” Maki denied. “I’m not being attacked. But I do have a _real_ hunter to deal with this time.”

Unlike her usual overreactions, Fumie stood silent, confusion clearly spelled on her face. “Huh?”

“I'm going to do it,” Maki stated firmly. She grabbed the items Eli and Nozomi gave her, staring at them with hardened resolve. “I'll be the one to face the hunter at your school! It might not be a direct confrontation against them, and it could be risky if things get out of hand.... But everyone is counting on me, and me alone to do it! I won't let any of them down! I'll show them that I’m strong enough to be in this fight, too!”

“I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about,” Fumie replied. “But you just sounded really cool, Maki-sama!”

While the self proclaimed servant glowed with amazement, Maki’s chest swelled with pride, the vampire poised to take on anything the world would throw at her.

Anything.

“Tomorrow I'm going to your school” Maki proclaimed. “During the day!”

Fumie excitement did a complete turn. “W-w-w-what!?” She gasped. “But Maki-sama! You're-”

“Don't you think I know that? It sounds like suicide, but to show them I’m absolutely serious, I’m willing to take the risks to meet them! And once I’m there, I will look that hunter straight in the eye without any hesitation to see them for who they really are!”

Just like a flipped switch, Fumie became excited once more. “Wow, Maki-sama! You’re just like Madoka in the last episode!”

Whoever ‘Madoka’ was didn’t concern Maki. Right now her determination made her thoughts burn with ideas and potential plans to accomplish such a daring move. “Fumie, you don’t need to go home yet, do you?”

“If it’s for Maki-sama, I’m willing to stay as long as you want!”

“Well, as late as your family allows,” Maki brushed her off. “Right now I need help planning for my visit tomorrow. Are you in?”

Fumie gave her usual wink and grinned. “You don’t even need to ask~”

Maki gave a nod of approval. _I’m not going to run away._ She thought to herself. For once, in what felt like an eternity, things felt like they were moving forward.

 

* * *

 

Nozomi hung up her phone, a satisfied smile on her face while Eli looked at the scheming tanuki inquisitively.

“Was that really her just now?” She asked as the two walked down the darkened street.

“Yup!” Nozomi chimed happily. “That was pretty fast. It hasn't even been an hour since we left Maki-chan’s house. She said she agrees to the plan. Even more stunning is that she said she would come to school herself tomorrow.”

“Huh? That’s dangerous!”

“She insisted on it herself,” Nozomi shrugged, looking up at the night sky. Clouds had begun to gather.  “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Maki-chan is a smart girl after all.”

“Hm...” Eli frowned. They continued to walk in silence when Eli remembered something and stopped. “Say, earlier -- when you pulled out the Fool card -- you didn’t really pull that card in a reading... did you?”

Facing Eli, Nozomi gave a playfully oblivious look. “I simply conveyed the meaning of the card. I never said that I had pulled that card _for_ Maki.”

“Isn’t that misleading?”

“That implies that Maki-chan thinks I pulled it for her. As far as I could tell, she didn’t think that. It’s fine. I was just giving her a little push.” Nozomi continued walking, leaving Eli to watch her a moment before catching up.

“You sure she was the right choice?” She asked. “We still had plenty of other people on our list to look through. Why settle for a vampire?”

A few steps later and Nozomi stopped, the moonlight barely illuminating her figure and leaving her mostly cloaked in shadows. “As soon as Mrs. Minami mentioned her, I knew she was the one. I’m positive.” In spite of how soft her voice was, the gravity behind Nozomi’s words was clearly felt. “I can feel it. Maybe choosing someone more accessible to Nico would have been the easier choice, but would it have been the right choice? You know me, Elicchi. I wouldn’t go forward with this if I felt it wasn’t the correct path to take. But right now, I’m willing to stake my life on Maki being the one we need.”

“Alright, I understand.” Eli conceded. “I just hope this doesn’t blow up in our faces....”

“Please, Elicchi,” Nozomi casted off her solemnness and impishly remarked. “You need to take a leap of faith, too.”

 

* * *

 

 _Is it too late to back out of this?_ Maki thought, eyebrows furrowed in worry. _What did I get myself into...._ The confidant girl who vowed action the night before found herself standing in front of her bed where the Otonokizaka uniform lay, her mind teetering back and forth from indecision about the plan she had concocted.

Wrapped up in her eagerness from last night (and the following morning), Maki could hardly achieve any sleep. Those prior hours were spent tossing and turning in her bed, thinking about what would transpire. Countless scenarios ranging from the plausible to the completely insane played out in her head. It wouldn’t be a battle of weapons and physical prowess (hopefully), but a battle of words and treachery. A number of scripted responses were created and discarded, ever changing depending on what this hunter might confront her with. Would a certain rebuttal be effective? A defensive response too weak? Or was all of this completely useless in the grand scheme of things? Maki couldn’t say. But she did know one thing:

She didn’t have the option of backing out now.

How could she? She had told Nozomi with such zeal last night how she’d show up today, ready to take on her duty. If she turned tail and ran away after everything she said, how could she live with herself? This wouldn’t sit well with her parents! And to add insult to injury, it would be totally embarrassing!

Maki shook her head furiously to empty her thoughts. _This is for Kotori._ _You can do this_.

The red headed vampire walked to the window, peeling back her curtain to stare outside. Thankfully, the weather worked in her favor today; the beginning of the rainy season offered a more than perfect veil against the sun’s harmful rays. Maki took a deep breath as she watched the countless drops slide down her window. The drops that hit her roof made a constant pattering that provided some solace amidst her whirlwind of outlandish ideas.

A glance at the clock revealed the time to be half past 3 PM. Only another half hour until school got out, and Fumie would be on her way to pick her up. Plenty of time remained until that happened, but Maki didn't spare any minute in getting ready. She began the process of changing into her uniform, each article of clothing making her into the perfect image of an Otonokizaka student. As Maki straightened her bow, she again cursed the fact that her heritage prevented her in seeing how she looked.

 _I’ll just ask Fumie for her opinion,_ Maki noted. In the meantime, she grabbed the book she'd been digging into for the past couple of days, hoping to get a little deeper in the story until she left.

Or so she thought.

Before she could even open the book, Maki heard a thud on her window. At first she just thought of it as more rain, but the thud persisted, getting a little harder each time. Her annoyance mounting, Maki looked at her window to see the root cause. Rather than rain, small pebbles were being thrown at the glass. She quickly looked outside to see who could possibly be hurling rocks at her house, and Maki spotted a figure dressed in a bright yellow rain coat. Once they had her attention, they gave a cheerful wave, and under the large hood Maki saw Fumie’s smiling face.

“You have to be kidding me!” Maki exclaimed.

She quickly ran downstairs, opening the door to see her overeager helper up close.

“Good afternoon, Maki-sama!” Fumie greeted happily despite the look of irritation on her master’s face. “Wow! You look absolutely stunning in that uniform! Is it alright if I take a selfie with you--”

“Fumie!” Maki scolded. “Why were you throwing rocks at my window!? Do you want to break the glass? And more importantly, shouldn't you still be in school!?”

“Well, I saw you were up there, so I wanted to get your attention!” Fumie replied, unfazed. ”Besides, not like I was chucking a road roller at you.”

“And as for the second question?”

“I said I wasn't feeling well, so I got off early. I figured we need to get a head start and bring you there before school ends! That way the pesky hunter won't have time to flee!”

Maki wanted to counter with something, but she couldn't convey the appropriate words. If Fumie lacked any other qualities, she didn't lack boldness. “Okay, fine.” _So much for reading._

“Then are you ready to get going, Maki-sama?” Fumie asked, her eyes brimming with excitement.

After a second of hesitation, Maki answered. “I'm ready. Just let me put on my raincoat and we'll get going.”

“Excellent!”

Maki pulled her red rain coat from the clothing rack, and slipped it over her school uniform. Raising the hood over her head, she looked out the open doorway past Fumie, and towards the gate to her house. She took in a deep breath, and willed herself to step outside. The moment she did, Maki could feel the rain hitting her coat. Being out in the rain wasn't a new sensation, but seeing the drops so clearly in front of her provided a new sense of awe. For the first time in her life, she started to wonder why she never set foot out on a rainy day before.

After making sure the door had been locked, Fumie directed Maki past the gate where her bicycle waited. When she suggested the idea of using it, Maki couldn't help but be skeptical. She had never ridden on one before, but they didn't look like they could accommodate two people. If they did, it seemed pretty cramped. Then again, it looked like faster travel compared to walking in the rain, and pulling some strings to get a car ride over there would lead to too many questions from her parents.

“I know you aren't exactly keen on taking my bike,” Fumie said, almost as if reading her exact thoughts. “But! Last night I decided to make the perfect carriage for you to ride in!”

 _Carriage?_ Maki slightly shivered, and it wasn't because of the rain. Somehow this didn't sound good.

“Let me show you!”

The two girls walked through the unlocked gate and turned the corner. Sure enough Fumie’s bike was there... along with something else attached behind it. It seemed like an imitation of the horse carriages from ages past, only this lacked the finesse of the real thing. It looked like a small two wheel cart with various anime stickers plastered over the wooden frame. But the defining feature here was a poorly erected vinyl roof that covered a hastily placed stool fit for a child.

“Fumie... please tell me what this _thing_ is?”

“I told you!” Fumie gestured to the haphazard construct with gusto. “It's your carriage! Well, it's actually my _ita-cart_ that I use for blood runs and Comiket, but I made sure to give it an upgrade just for you! After all, you deserve to ride in comfort and style~”

Maki looked skeptically into the cart. The seat of the small stool was covered with a hodgepodge of symbols. Some recognizable like the peace symbol, others absolutely foreign to her. Beside it laid a steel colored helmet, that weirdly enough, was shaped like a heart when viewed from above. And finally from the edges of the roof hung several small plushies of the same anime mascot -- a black and white dog with a disgruntled, almost human looking face. _Definitely not stylish! No one would take me seriously if I showed up in this!_

“Um...” Maki began. As much as she wanted to admit her distaste, hurting Fumie’s feelings wasn't something she wanted either. “I really appreciate you doing this... but couldn't I just ride on the rear rack of your bike?”

“The rear rack?” Fumie gasped. “Maki-sama! That isn't befitting of someone of your status! Additionally, it's illegal to ride like that. Don't you know your bike laws?”

“I don't,” Maki stated flatly.

“Which is why I had this prepared just for you! Come on, Maki-sama. Get in so we can make it in time for school to end! ”

Maki wanted to protest -- think of another way to Otonokizaka that didn't require selling her dignity. Walking there started to look like a nice alternative, too. But Fumie had a point about being there on time. It would be a stretch to say that this served as another layer of her test of commitment, but regardless of being true or not, compromises needed to be made. Slowly, Maki climbed into the cart and planted her butt on the stool.

“Let's just get this over with.”

After Maki placed herself securely on the cart, Fumie rummaged through her bag and took out a pair of overly large purple shades. Not bothering with Maki’s consent, she placed them over her face, marveling them with a nod like some kind of sculptor. “Very nice. I have impeccable taste.”

_I beg to differ._

“Now no one will ever suspect Maki-sama is riding out in the open! Your life is in good hands!” Fumie proudly proclaimed. She hopped onto her bike and readied her feet on the pedals. “Okay, Maki-sama! Remember to put on your helmet! Always safety first!”

Without a word, Maki strapped on the bike helmet, and Fumie gave her approval in the form of a thumbs up. “OK! We're good to go!” The twin-braided girl hunched over slightly, the fire burning in her ready to turn into a blaze.

“Fumie Nishimura! Cyclone Mk.II, full power! Here we go!”

Try as she might, Maki couldn’t resist cringing. The bike lurched forward, slowly picking up speed as a new journey into the unknown began its course.

 

* * *

 

Throughout the trip, Maki did one simple thing: keep her head down. Amidst the sound of the pouring rain and Fumie’s own humming, the nervous vampire hoped that the weather kept a lot of people off the streets, lest they see a teenage looking girl riding in a ludicrous excuse of a carriage.

A slight bump in the road made the stool she sat on rock a bit, and a part of her wondered just how stable this whole thing was despite Fumie’s insistence on _safety_. She just hoped that the distance to Otonokizaka didn’t remain long. It took a lot more than a crash to mortally wound a vampire, but the idea of tipping over from some hazard and falling down a hill didn’t seem appealing either.

Speaking of bracing for the worst, Maki tried to pass the time by formulating her next course of action. She was barely given any details about the hunter the night before, but from the sliver of info she got from Nozomi, they were completely in the dark about the school’s supernatural existence. That didn't mean she could be soft on her though. They could be most well mannered, well-tempered person, but their very nature as a hunter made any sinister intent they harbored clear. Whoever they were, Maki couldn’t falter now.

Feeling much more determined compared to this morning, the rumbling down the road suddenly came to a halt, the sound of Fumie’s bike skidding across the wet pavement heard among the pouring rain.

“And we’re here, Maki-sama!” Fumie proclaimed.

Maki’s head snapped to attention, shocked at how fast the whole trip went. She breathed a sigh of relief, highly eager to get out of this rickety cart and step into Otonokizaka. But before she could even lift herself up from the stool, the sight before Maki’s eyes made her petrified.

The prospect of leaving the cart didn’t leave room for the usually logical girl to consider just _where_ Fumie would park. In the back of her mind, she made the foolish assumption that they would at least stop a few feet away from campus. Not IN FRONT of its entrance, where students were just now coming out in waves to go home.

Unlike many fictional depictions, vampires didn’t possess the inherent ability to turn invisible. Right now, more than anything, Maki deeply wished she had that power. Some of the girls looked at her in confusion, while others didn’t try hiding any snickers. The countless stares they were giving her made Maki further paralyzed.

“Maki-sama? What are you doing?” Fumie said, appearing by the frozen redhead’s side. “We’re here already!”

Maki stiffly diverted her gaze away to Fumie, her humiliation converting into pure fury that was starting to bubble its way to the surface. Before she could form an intense tongue lashing at the hapless servant, someone suddenly broke out into booming laughter. This was enough to divert Maki’s attention, now focused trying to find the damnable source. One that, as it continued resounding in the rain, sounded really familiar. Darting her purple eyes around, she caught the sight of a short-haired girl under a yellow umbrella, bending over and clutching her side in laughter. It didn’t take even a second to register who it was.

“Rin!?” Maki said aghast. She ripped off her shades to be sure she wasn’t seeing things, but it was without a doubt the nekomata (sans the ears and tail) she knew as one of her few friends.  

The girl in question ceased her laughter when she realized who it was, and immediately her face become one of sheer disbelief. “M-Maki-chan!? Is that really you? Don’t you realize what time is? You’re crazy!"

While Rin went off in a panic, Maki threw off her helmet and vaulted off of the cart. “I’m fine. Besides, it's raining. I’m not that stupid.”

“But--”

“ _I’m fine_ ,” she said, putting an end to that conversation. “What about you? Where’s your hat?!”

“What? What are you talking about, nya!? I’m at school, remember?”

“But still--!

“Uh... Maki-sama....” Fumie’s presence was almost forgotten, but Maki stopped herself when she heard her voice. “You might want to get a move on, hehe....”

Looking around, Maki came to the realization that they were attracting a lot more attention from the other students passing by. The exact opposite of her intentions.

“I’ll take my leave then, Maki-sama!” Fumie called out embarrassingly. “I need to make sure a teacher doesn’t spot me!”

_Way to be discrete about it!_

“Rin-chan, I leave her in your hands! Now, go forth and do the deed only you can fulfill!”

As Fumie bolted out of the school grounds, Maki cringed for what had to have been the millionth time that day. “I hate this so much...” She said under her breath. Before the vampire could think of her next move, she jolted when she felt Rin’s hand grip her arm, unexpectedly dragging her around the school building.

“We need to get you out of the sunlight!” Rin exclaimed as they moved through the sea of students leaving.

Maki rolled her eyes and went along with Rin’s movements. She had already expended all her energy to argue anyway. “Just where are you taking me exactly?”

“There’s a secret underground shelter made just for the SR students!”

“‘SR’?”

“Supernatural Rank! ‘SR’!”

They turned the corner and Maki almost tripped on a bump in the pavement. “Rin! Stop!” She pulled her arm from her friend’s grasp and stood firm. “I don’t need to go there! I need to see Principal Minami. It’s important.”

Rin stopped and turned around nervously. “Principal Minami? Is... everything alright?”

Maki exhaled slowly. “No. It’s not. I’ve been entrusted with something very important. I can’t explain right now, but I will soon. Just know that I’m the only one who can do it.”

Rin looked her over as if she was trying to assess whether or not Maki was over exaggerating again. After a couple seconds of thought, she gave in. “What you’re talking about sounds very confusing... but okay. I trust you.”

“Thank you.”

“But first, before you see Principle Minami, we should see Kayochin!”

“Huh?” Maki asked in confusion. “Hanayo?”

“Yeah! She’d be sad if you didn’t say hi! She’s by the alpaca stable-- that’s on the way to the office. Let’s go!”

“Can’t we do that af- hey!” Before Maki could continue, Rin grabbed her arm again and was whisking her away under the rain.

 

* * *

 

“Hand me more books, Honoka!”

“Nico-chan, I don’t think-”

“That’s right! Don’t think! Just listen to me! Hand me more books!”

Fearing Nico’s wrath, Honoka handed her more from the bookcase. Nico was currently building a barricade in front of the clubroom door out of boxes and textbooks in resistance to Eli’s plan. The student council president was due to arrive any moment, so Nico had recruited “the ever loyal and dependable Honoka” to lend a hand.

“Faster Honoka! This wall only goes up to my knees! And Nozomi and Eli are taller than me so this won’t do at all!”

“I’m running out of books!” Honoka said, glancing around the bookshelves. "We might have to start using the Supernatural Monthly magazines.”

“No don’t touch those! Those are important research materials! I have to travel far to get them now! They stopped selling them here.”

“Gee, I wonder why...” Umi muttered, rolling her eyes.

“Nico-chan, can we, uh, go please?” Kotori asked nervously.

“No! You two are my hostages. I’ll let you leave after my demands are met.”

The two girls sat at the giant table in the center of the room, having tea and snacks Nico prepared earlier. “This is ridiculous.” Umi muttered as Kotori just sat there and sipped her tea. The two of them were invited to the clubroom after school for some “tea and chit chat” as Honoka relayed from Nico. When the two got there, the tea was present alright. But the moment Kotori put her hand on the teapot, Nico shut the door and proclaimed they were her hostages.

“It’s okay Umi-chan,” Kotori whispered. “Once Eli-chan gets here, will be free for sure.”

“I hope so...” Umi sighed as she watched Nico and Honoka continuously scrambling to build their meager barricade. “Say, Nico, why exactly are you so resistant to the student council’s proposal all of a sudden? Weren’t you all bubbly about how everything was “peachy keen” between you two now?”

“That was BEFORE I knew what they were planning,” Nico huffed as she managed to fortify another section of the door with dusty, outdated volumes of _The Hunter’s Sacred Survival Guide_. She had no idea why these were so thick, but at least they served a purpose now. “Do you even know what they want to do with me? They want to stick some device made by that weirdo in the Takamagahara Research Lab on me, and monitor me here at school! No way! That’s like, an invasion of privacy!”

“Nico-chan kinda has a point,” Kotori pointed out, rather sympathetically. “That’s not a nice thing to do.”

“Precisely, Kotori!” The self-proclaimed vampire hunter exclaimed. “If someone had the power to stalk your every movement, surely you wouldn’t subject yourself to this kind of agreement. It feels like I’m being hunted!”

“Does it?” Umi asked dryly.

“I swear,” Nico grumbled as she paused from her work. “I’m going to sue this entire school for attempting to infringe on my freedom!”

“Wow, Nico-chan!” Honoka’s face lit up in awe. “D-does your family have enough money for that?” She asked nervously.

Nico shot her lesser minion an annoyed look. “That isn’t funny.”

“Sorry, hehehe...” Honoka giggled apprehensively as the two continued to make their barricade. “But Nico-chan, it's not like they’re going to spy on you everywhere you go. They’re just gonna make sure you’re not gonna wreck the school!”

“Isn’t my word enough?” Nico asked as she patted some dust off her sleeve. So much for three years worth of trust and understanding. “Remember when Eli made the speech at the beginning of the school year about how this school was ‘committed to being safe and prosperous’? Now she and her cronies want to take this place and turn it into their own little empire. But if they think they can take my freedom away, they’re dead wrong!”

“Aren’t you overreacting?” Umi questioned as she continued watching Nico and Honoka’s efforts. “You have to admit, even if it seems a bit harsh, you have done a lot at this point to earn such a restriction. And don’t question me on what, because Kotori and I can name plenty of things before you protest.”

With mild disdain, Nico casted her eyes on the blue haired girl while Kotori nodded in silent approval. She couldn’t fight her on that one. But at least she could fight the other battle before her right here. By now, Eli and company were most likely aware that she wasn’t showing up to the principal’s office to iron out the deal. That meant any at moment they’d come to her directly, bringing whoever they decided to be her ‘jailer’.

Reinforcing the barricade with another set of books, Nico’s mind readied itself for the inevitable negotiations taking place between it. Like hell they’d keep bringing her down and away from accomplishing her goals.

“Just you wait,” she said to herself as her face grew emboldened. “Just you wait.”

 

* * *

 

 

The rain wasn’t letting up anytime soon, it seemed. Good news for Maki as she allowed herself to be led by Rin to wherever the Alpaca shed was. Along their walk, they passed through several students each giving Rin a brief hello as they continued on their own business.

None of them ever brought it up, but Maki wondered if they were curious about who she was. About this person Rin seemed so happy to drag around. It seemed inconsequential to know... but out here, in the day for the first time, it continued to be a new experience. She walked past strangers -- mostly humans -- in the deep hours of the night countless times. Aside from the usual caution, Maki never wondered how they perceived her. But here, in a place she had to blend into, how did they see her? Just another student? A new student? Again, useless opinions that had a new air of magic around them.

Furthermore, she wondered which of these girls were human or supernatural. How many were aware that Rin was a nekomata, or about the threat of a hunter among them? With her body guided by her friend, Maki continued to ponder deeply on these questions.

“Here we are, nya!”

Rin’s booming voice brought Maki away from thinking, and looked ahead to see a small wooden stable. As they got nearer, she saw two alpacas standing around idly before they took attention to her and Rin. The white one in particular stared at Maki with it’s big, black eyes, eliciting a bit of discomfort from the vampire.

“Afternoon!” Rin greeted the fluffy animals happily. “Have you seen Kayochin around here? I brought along an important friend!”

“Is that you, Rin-chan?” A familiar voice called out.

Maki’s eyes darted around, trying to catch a glimpse of the little grain fairy somewhere. “Hanayo, where are you? It’s me, Maki!”

“M-M-M-Maki-chan!?”

For a moment, Maki anticipated to see her fly down from the rafters above, or maybe emerge from the soft, cottony fur from one of the alpacas (it wasn’t a stretch to believe that she’d nestle in there on such a cold, rainy day). Instead, a figure emerged from behind the stable, their appearance causing Maki to let out a shocked gasp and almost fall on the wet ground. The figure wasn’t simply her meek, unassuming friend Hanayo....

It was a GIANT Hanayo.

“Uh!? Maki-chan, what’s wrong?” Hanayo asked worriedly as the girl in questioned had trouble articulating anything.

Rin, too, grew bewildered as she wondered the same thing, only for her face to light up as an answer struck her like a lightning bolt. “I get it! I think Maki-chan hasn’t really seen you like this before, huh?”

It didn’t take long to get over her shock, but the idea of a giant Hanayo (well not ‘giant giant’, just the size of an average human) took some getting used to for Maki. She always knew that the little fairy had the ability to assume human form, but knowing that didn’t prepare her for seeing it herself.

“I-I didn’t mean to scare you,” Maki finally replied. “I guess Rin’s right, I’m just used to seeing you so small....” _I still can’t believe how some rice can make a tiny fairy so big._

“Oh, it’s okay,” Hanayo fidgeted a little. “Sorry if I surprised you....” Before Maki could provide some reassurance, a sudden squeak cut her off. “WAIT MAKI-CHAN? WHY ARE YOU HERE? T-T-T-THE SUN MIGHT-”

“OK I get it!” Maki protested. She didn’t need everyone pointing that out. “I know it’s highly concerning for me to be out here right now, but it’s alright.”

“Yeah, you haven’t even told me yet. Why are you even here?” Rin asked, petting one of the alpacas. “Not that we don’t want you here of course, but weren’t you always scared of going outside?”

Maki flinched. “I’m not scared of going outside! I just... like staying inside! Obviously because... you know!”

Before Maki could continue shoddily defending herself, a quiet ringing emitted from her coat pocket. She reached in and pulled out a (slightly outdated) flip phone.

“Hello?”

“Maki-chan? Where are you? Did you get lost?” Nozomi’s voice flooded through the speaker and into her ear.

“Hello Nozomi. I’m sorry, I’m here already but I got a bit sidetracked.” From her peripheral vision, she could tell Hanayo and Rin were curious about the call but ignored their inquisitive gaze. “I’ll go to the principal’s office right away.”

“Ah... about that,” the purple haired tanuki said, her tone almost bordering amusement. “There a slight change of plans. Instead, can you meet me at the front entrance? I’ll explain more once you get there."

“Huh?” Maki’s face contorted in confusion. But rather than insist on more info, she went along with the request. “O-okay, I’ll be there right away.”

“See you soon~” Nozomi sang before hanging up.

“Um... is everything alright?” Hanayo asked a bit hesitantly as Maki put away her phone.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” she replied reassuringly. Even if she secretly developed some suspicion in the back of her mind. “I was suppose to meet Principal Minami at her office, but I’m told to head back to the front entrance instead.”

“Hold on, Maki-chan,” Rin cut in, a clear pout on her face. “You still need to explain why you're here at our school. It sounds really urgent, nya!”

Maki sighed in surrender. “Let’s start walking. Then I’ll explain.”  

 

* * *

 

The rain had picked up, and the wind tugged at Rin’s umbrella, threatening to whisk it away. Maki spared them the details and gave them a quick overview as they walked briskly through the grounds. Not only did she want to keep Hanayo and Rin partially in the dark because of safety, but she was afraid the hunter had ears all over campus. At this point, anything was possible, and Maki was prepared for the worst.

“This is... crazy,” Rin gasped, eyes widening from disbelief.

“It is,” Maki agreed severely.

“It’s so... EXCITING!”

“What?!"

“You get to be a hero to Kotori-chan _and_ the school! I mean, I know it’s dangerous, and you definitely should be careful,” Rin rambled, “but come on. The world could always use more heroes!”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Maki cried. “This isn’t exciting at all!”

“Well, you... did sound a little excited,” Hanayo cut in sheepishly, walking in the shade of Rin’s umbrella.

“Ugh, look, this is serious,” she rebuked. On the other hand, Maki didn't want to admit that her friend spoke some truth. This whole plan wasn't something to look forward to with a sense of wonder and adventure. But ever since last night, a spark of those sentiments gnawed at the corners of her mind. Something that made her eager enough to face the unknown.

 _“Get yourself together_ ,” Maki thought to herself. The coming challenge offered no room for feeling cocky. A lot could be at risk here.

Whatever conflicts she had in her mind wouldn’t be dwelled on for long, as the supernatural trio found Nozomi by the school entrance, patiently waiting under an umbrella with a smile on her face.

“Hiya!” She waved happily as they came closer to her. “Friends of yours, Maki-chan?”

“Yup!” Rin chirped happily, bowing with Hanayo to respect their upperclassman. “I’m Rin Hoshizora!”

“Evening, Tojo-san,” Hanayo greeted as well. “I’m Hanayo Koizumi. Um... I know Maki-chan has important business, so I’m sorry if we’re being a distraction....”

Nozomi shook her head. “Nah, it’s fine. It’s good to see Maki-chan with friends, so I don’t mind if you tag along. Although... it might get a little rambunctious from here on out.”

Maki raised a brow. “And what’s that suppose to mean?”

“Let’s step inside first,” Nozomi evaded, signalling the girls to tag along with a wave. Without protest the girls followed her into the entryway, exchanging their outdoor shoes for indoor pairs (which Nozomi provided for Maki).

Finally inside, a hidden sense of amazement rose up within Maki. Even though she had seen photos of the school on the internet, finally _being_ there amongst the students was both exciting and peculiar. Vampires rarely had the chance to attend school, so most, if not all, their knowledge was self taught. This was certainly true for Maki, as her parents were typically busy at the hospital or making house calls. Imagining herself sitting in a brightly lit classroom, facing a blackboard surrounded by classmates was a funny thought.

“We were suppose to go to Principal Minami’s office,” Nozomi explained as she led them into the hallway. “But unfortunately, the girl you were suppose to meet is being a little... difficult.”

Maki felt a need to pause, but continued walking along. “....What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about,” the purple haired tanuki replied, almost sensing her growing unease. “But right now she’s locked herself up in her clubroom and won’t come out to talk with us.”

“Can’t you just, I don’t know, unlock the door yourself?” Maki queried. Sounds like a nuisance, but not something difficult to deal with. “You have the key, don’t you?”

Nozomi chuckled. “It’s not so easy. She practically has herself barricaded in there. But again, no need for alarm. We’re heading to the clubroom right now, and once we arrive there, all the pieces will come into place.”

“Pieces?” Hanayo wondered aloud.

“Pieces....” Rin repeated thoughtfully as they continued along the halls. “I’m not sure why, but that makes me kinda hungry!”

Maki ignored the carefree remark, a growing sense of anxiousness taking hold. She only hoped as they continued to their destination that this wouldn't turn into something violent. Who knew what kind of equipment that hunter had hidden in her club room. Deadly weapons, dangerous talismans harmful to the supernatural, anything was possible! She could only hope that Otonokizaka maintained vigilance about those things being smuggled onto school grounds, but when it came to hunters, one could never be too lax. They weren't above pulling petty tricks in order to get out of a situation. Supernatural or otherwise.

Rounding the corner, Maki spotted two familiar figures standing there, facing one of the many doors lining the hall. One of them was definitely Eli, her face looking stern, while the older looking woman in a white suit was unmistakably Mrs.Minami. Maki gulped.

Now was the moment of truth.

“How long are you gonna keep this up?” Eli spoke to whoever was behind the door, long past the point of patience. “You can't be in there forever.”

“Try me!” a voice responded, clearly defiant in tone. “I’m never gonna surrender my freedom!”

Eli let out a heavy sigh. It looked as if she’d been attempting this for quite awhile now.

“Elicchi!” Nozomi sang as the group got closer to the clubroom. “Maki-chan, plus company, is safely here!”

“Evening, Ayase-san,” Maki greeted the student council president as her friends did the same in turn. “And good evening, Minami-san. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

The principle smiled. “Likewise, Maki-chan. Thank you so much for coming here, despite the risks.” Unlike Kotori, Mrs.Minami always had a more dignified, level headed disposition to her. But just like her daughter they both shared a peculiar kindness no one could turn away. “I wanted to discuss with you the details about the plan Ayase-san and Tojo-san came up with. Although as you can see....”

“Niccochi!” Nozomi shouted to the door this time. “Can you come out, please? The student we were talking about is here to meet you!”

“I SAID NOT A CHANCE!” The voice boomed louder. A strange inkling started to invade Maki’s mind. _Why does this voice sounds so familiar?_

“Come on, at least let us out!” another voice behind the door moaned. “I’m tired of carrying all these books! Plus Kotori-chan needs to go home already!”

_What. Kotori?_

“WAIT!” Maki’s cried out, panic clearly ringing in her voice. “Kotori’s in there too!?”

“O-oh, is that Maki-chan? What are you doing here?” That sweet sounding voice couldn’t be anyone but Kotori!

“K-Kotori! Are you okay!?” Maki yelled out. Any sense of calm all started flying out the window at this point. No one told her Kotori already got mixed up in this. Did the hunter figure out about their plans somehow? Did they decide to keep Kotori as a hostage as some last desperate attempt to escape their fate? All the improbable scenarios she thought of last night came back in full force. Blending themselves into a chaotic trainwreck of ideas on what to do next.

“She’s my hostage!” the hunter declared, fear furthering clutching Maki as her fears were being affirmed. “Unless you back off with your crazy plans, I’m not letting her, or anyone else get out of here!”

“Oh please, just give this up already,” Eli groaned.

“Um, wow, this sounds really serious....” Hanayo squeaked behind Rin while Eli and the mysterious person continued to argue.

“We really got ourselves in a pickle, huh Kayochin?” The short haired nekomata quipped. “What are you gonna do now, Maki-chan? Uh... Maki-chan?”

Her voice didn't reach her friend. Maki’s body trembled at the thought of what that hunter was doing to Kotori in there. Were they being tortured? Did she intend to finish Kotori off and escape with her remains as some sort of sick trophy? At this moment the only way to handle the situation wasn't one of words and wit.

No. It could be done by strength alone.

Clenching her fists, Maki silently walked towards the door, eyes ablaze with determination. Her approach surprised everyone, and they all fell silent as she stood there, a very ominous aura starting to emanate around her.

“Hey, Maki-chan?” Nozomi asked, very concerned about her sudden change. “Just what are you doing.”

Like Rin, she failed to reach her. Instead Maki closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. All her life, not once did the vampire ever dare to take a glimpse beyond the safety of her normal routine. Her family, the hospital, they all acted like a fortress against the very real dangers that afflicted her kind and other supernatural beings. And because of that, it only fostered a fear of the enemy that lied beyond the reaches of that safety.

After 150 years, she couldn't run away anymore.

Maki took a step back from the door, throwing her fists up. Her eyes snapped back open, an intensity never seen before reflected within them. Everything in life lead up to this moment, she decided. The enemy was here, and rather than let terror paralyze her, Maki summoned all the courage she had to face them once and for all. She'd show everyone she had what it takes to actively protect them. The entire threat of the hunters might not be erased with this one person, and she might not be able to save the world. But she could save Kotori, and the rest of Otonokizaka. And that would be enough.

Before anyone could object to what Maki was up to, she suddenly launched her fists at the door with blinding speed. “ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!” she roared as she continued to make impacts across its surface.

Although she never received any self-defense training, the natural strength of a vampire --twice as much as an ordinary human-- proved sufficient when it came to brute force. As for the weird battle cry, she had no idea what it meant. Only that Fumie insisted she yell it if she wanted to increase her attack power. Whatever that meant.... However, as silly as it sounded, it managed to rouse her fighting spirit. Already she could feel the resistance of whatever blocked the door weakening, and her flurry ceased in order to draw back her fist for one final blow.

“ORA!” With one punch, the door flew open in an instant, scattering a variety of objects such as books and boxes across the floor of the clubroom. The door, while not completely blown off its hinges, did not escape complete harm, and several dents from Maki’s fists were clearly visible. Everyone around Maki couldn't utter a word, equally shocked at the unexpected display of ferocity.

“M-M-M-Maki-chan,” Rin stuttered, her face looking pale as she and an equally frightened Hanayo held each other tightly. “Scary....”

“N-Nishikino-san!” Mrs.Minami called out, regaining her composure, yet unsure what to say.

The vampire took a step into the now open clubroom, her eyes scanning around for that accursed hunter. It was such a small space that they couldn't remain hidden that easily.Among the debris that littered the floor, she saw a table turned to its side like a barricade. After a couple moments, three figures slowly rose out of hiding, shock clearly present on their faces by what just transpired. One was a girl with short orange hair, one with long blue hair, and the third was-

“Kotori!” Maki cried out, feelings of immense relief flooding through. Getting closer, she planted her hands on her shoulders, startling the young girl as she started shaking her.“Are you alright!? They didn't hurt you, did they!? Where did they go!?”

“A-ah....” Kotori droned out, highly bewildered by Maki’s borderline interrogation.

“Woah, what the heck did you do!?” Kotori’s orange haired friend said aghast. “We thought there was a battering ram trying to knock the door down or something!”

“A-also, can you stop shaking Kotori-chan?” Her blue haired friend insisted. “ You're scaring her.”

Maki released her grip from Kotori, taking a step back, finally coming to her senses. “I'm sorry... I just got so worried and I went a little overboard.”

“A little?” Eli exasperated. “You just damaged school property!”

“Take it easy, Elicchi,” Nozomi insisted, untroubled by the damage. “Nothing we can't fix! But... where's Niccochi?”

Maki looked around the room again, trying to discover where this ‘Niccochi’ was. No way they could have escaped unnoticed! “Show yourself!” She challenged taking another step over the debris on the floor.

“OWOWOWOWOWOW YOU'RE STANDING ON MY LEG!”

Startled, Maki lifted her leg from whoever that was and looked down. Covered in books and paper fliers, a small girl laid there, appearing as if she got knocked back from a hurricane. A flier with ridiculous artwork obscuring her face, but the dark twin tails she had stuck out to her as something highly familiar. Before she could put her finger on it, the girl stuck a hand over the flier, pulling it away to reveal a disgruntled face with glaring red eyes.

A new feeling of shock struck Maki. “You... you can't be serious....”    

The girl immediately sat up, soothing her sore leg while mumbling to herself. “My god, look at this mess! I’m not gonna clean this up by myself! Honoka, help me out!”

“Whaaaaaat?” the girl who could be Honoka whined. “I wanna go home!”

“This is your club too, so-- MY COLLECTION!”

The girl got up to her feet in a panic, ignoring any pain and quickly scrambling to pick up the junk off the floor that she considered a ‘collection’. All the while, Maki stood dumbstruck, trying to reconcile the sight before her. Moments ago she stood poised to take on any challenge. But whatever amount of bravado she held evaporated, and turned into incredulity at the fact that this girl -- the one she never, ever wanted to see again -- was right in front of her.

“This can’t be real. You can’t be it!” Everything started coming together in the worst way possible. Of all people, _this_ couldn’t be the one she met that night. The one who snuck into her hospital and forced to buy her dinner.

The girl stopped picking up her trash off the floor, suddenly pointing towards Maki accusingly. “You again! Just what are you doing here!? Were you the one that knocked open my door? I know Eli didn’t do it, she never damages school property!”

“How is it that you keep popping up like some kind of roach,” Maki said disgustingly, also trying to distract from the fact that she indeed wrecked the door.

“You’re the one to talk! And is that our school uniform? You actually go here!?”

“Oh?” Nozomi butted in, peeping her head in the doorway. “You two already know each other?”

“Yes-- I mean no!” They both said in unison before giving each other contemptuous stares. “Stop that!”

“Well, I guess this makes things easier,” Nozomi chuckled. “Maki-chan, this is Nico Yazawa! The one you will be watching over from now on!”

Both girls were rendered speechless by the last proclamation, and Maki especially felt her world start to spin. No, it felt like it was crumbling before her. Dramatic as that sounded, she couldn’t describe it as anything else.

“Now, since the gang’s all here,” Nozomi continued, her smile becoming rather devilish. “Let’s discuss the beginning of Maki-chan and Nicocchi’s beautiful friendship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time, but we're back. We hope there's still someone out there that is interested in this crazy fic. Thank you for your support.


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